Bloodlust
by Usabelle
Summary: Darien, Prince of the Vampires, is the sole heir to the throne of the undead. Serena is a Day Walker destined to have his child. When she forgets her oath, Darien is forced to leave his underground world to find what he has so long been denied...
1. Prologue

Bloodlust

By Usabelle

AN: Hello once again! Welcome to fanfic number two, Bloodlust! I was kind of scared to post this because it is really different from Untitled. First off, this one actually has a title! Take that, untitled fanfic naysayers! I think it's also a bit darker and more serious than Untitled too. Also, this one's rated R. Woo hoo! I made this decision basically because I'm dropping the f-bomb (sorry, I consider that really strong language), there are... situations, and there's general goriness. The inspiration for this story came when I was searching for vampire fics and could find very few that were completed. Here's my attempt to write an original vamp story. So, without further adieu, I leave you with the prologue to Bloodlust. R & R! Please and thank you! 

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Prologue

"Did you bring the child?" Glowing red eyes peered from a distant corner of the dark, cavernous room. The voice echoed off the walls and the only other sound that could be heard was the clicking of heels against the black marble floor.

A blonde woman clutched a white bundle to her chest protectively as she stepped further into the dimly lit room, her companion following closely. In the distance, she could barely make out a throne and approached cautiously. "Of course. Is the prince here?"

"As per your request, your Highness," a woman's voice muttered sarcastically. 

The woman's icy blue eyes narrowed. "Don't take that tone with me- I care for your kind no more than you care for mine, but we are in a situation that none of us can help." When she heard no response, she grew frustrated. All she could see were glowing crimson eyes at the seat of a gigantic throne. "Show yourself, witch!"

A tall woman wearing a gleaming crown atop raven colored hair stepped into the flickering candlelight of the underground palace. "I am no witch, Ilene. Vampires are very different from witches. Perhaps you would like a demonstration?" Her amused voice was thick with sarcasm as she smiled and exposed long, white fangs.

Ilene gasped and took a step backwards, holding the child tightly. "Leave us be!" she shouted, backing into her husband.

The dark-haired woman turned to the ominous man beside her, shrouded in the darkness. "Remind me again why we are helping these murderers."

"Because none of us have any options left!" Ilene burst out, eliciting tears from the child in her arms. As she tried to calm her down, she whispered harshly, "Our line is at an end... and you know why."

The meek blond man next to her finally stepped forward in an attempt to placate the group. "My wife and I are the last two living Day Walkers that we know of... the rest are dead." His soft blue-green eyes looked to the child in his wife's arms. "Serena has no mate."

Smirking, the hidden man sauntered into the dimly lit hall where the group stood, revealing a head of slicked jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes. "Isn't this interesting. The child will be the last pure Day Walker... How shall we benefit from this joining? Even if she cannot procreate... she can still eliminate many of us in her lifetime."

The light-haired man sighed. "We wish for her protection... Too many have died and she is the last of our kind. We know that you will take her life."

"You do have a point. Why don't we just suck her blood now and put her out of her misery?" the vampiric woman taunted.

Ilene lashed out at the woman, cradling the frightened child. "Fuck you, Lily! I'll kill you before you take the first step!"

"How original!" she crowed, circling the enraged mother, "A Day Walker killing a vampire."

With narrowed eyes, Ilene backed away. "We only kill your kind because you steal from souls... you take the lives of the innocent!"

The dark-haired woman smiled. "We only take what we need to stay alive... what's a few pathetic lives in the long run"  
"You disgust me," Ilene spat, shielding her daughter from couple.

A chilling smile graced the undead man's pale face. "Yet somehow we don't disgust you enough when you need our help. I will ask again. What do we get from this joining?"

The blond man moved forward nervously, handing over papers covered in mathematical equations and illustrations over to the couple in the darkness. "A child with powers beyond imagination. Think of it, Damien- a vampire that could walk around in broad daylight... a vampire with no allergy to silver... a new, immortal breed..."

Damien's cold blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You mean a new breed of day walker. Or a vampire without the bloodlust."

"Call it what you will... no one would come close to matching it in speed, strength, agility, telepathy... think of the possibilities! The best of both worlds! Of course, there would be peace between our races... We would no longer exterminate your kind."

The man dressed in all black nodded. "And in turn we would stop feeding off yours, Ken... What a shame, Day Walker blood is my favorite."

Suppressing his rage, Ken managed a composed tone. "Well if this works then we could curb that bloodlust." The tension was palpable and it took all of his strength not to drive a stake through the demon's heart.

Damien began to pace, looking down at the papers diagramming what would happen. "But would it work? Who knows if your kind could even mate with mine?"

"I've done my research and I'm nearly positive that it will work... but I need to test their blood to be sure. That's why we asked you to bring the prince. I propose we mix my daughter's blood with his and see what happens."

"You mean to experiment on our children?" Lily asked incredulously, crimson eyes wide.

Ken winced. "Not necessarily experiment... more like take necessary precautions."

"You're known for your scientific experiments, Ken. If you so much as make my child cry..." Lily threatened, her irises beginning to glow eerily.

"All I want to do is draw a little blood. My past experiments have nothing to do with this," he said defensively.

The dark-haired man turned to a maid waiting in the darkness. "Bring forth my son."

Out of the shadows stepped a pale raven-haired boy, no older than three. Dressed completely in black, just like his father, he meekly approached his parents. His wide, innocent blue eyes staring up at the strangers and soft, curious expression almost made them believe that he was normal. Almost. 

However, as soon as the needle pierced his skin, his eyes turned a glaring red and he hissed, exposing sharp, gleaming white fangs. His mother restrained him from biting anyone as they finished drawing blood.

Ilene jumped back at the little prince's reaction. From a child to go from angelic to demonic in less than a second was frightening. As soon as Ken got enough blood, they deposited it in a tiny glass vial. The small boy glared at the man who caused him pain, his eyes glowing a frightful crimson as he rubbed his arm.

At the young boy's reaction, the baby in Ilene's arms began to cry and struggle. As gently as possible, her father took another needle out of his briefcase and drew silver blood, a trademark of a Day Walker, from the young girl, depositing it in a separate vial.

Placing a few droplets of a chemical into an empty test tube, he poured in the contents of the two remaining vials and swirled it around. The mixture turned a deep blue and Ken smiled. "It will work. His blood antigens will not attack hers, and hers will not attack his. It is safe."

Damien nodded. "Then it shall be done."

Ken pulled another paper out of his briefcase. "I've drawn up this treaty. When Serena is twenty, she will wed Darien. At that time, an alliance will be formed between the Day Walkers and the Legion of Vampires. There will be no further attacks from either side and we will fight as a unified group against adversaries. Their children will succeed the throne eventually. Any questions? Objections?" He handed the paper to Damien.

Cool blue eyes ran over the paper, searching for any loopholes or traps. Damien sighed. "I see nothing wrong with this treaty. But... the alliance starts when they wed?"

Nodding, Ken nervously shuffled his feet as he stared at the shiny black floor. "We would have an... unofficial alliance. We don't kill you... you don't kill us."

Lily stared at the sheet for a moment before shaking her head. "We cannot protect all of you... but we can protect the child."

Ilene looked down at her precious child, eyes wide. "Fair enough. Then we will protect Darien as you protect our daughter."

Damien and Lily examined the infant for a moment before glancing at each other and nodding. Pulling a velvet pouch from of his cloak, Damien handed it to Ilene, who confusedly accepted it.

She opened the black pouch to reveal an intricately wrought silver chain with a glass pendant filled with a thick crimson liquid. "It is the blood of the royal family. No vampire- or any creature for that matter- will touch her if they see that."

Smiling, Ilene put the necklace around the baby's neck. "Pure silver... it would kill a vampire."

Lily nodded coldly, long raven locks partially covering her dark expression. "No vampire would touch her... but what reassurance do we have in return?"

Ilene bit her lip and looked to her husband for an answer. He nodded. "We have something similar... a sign of protection... a chain with silver blood... I doubt anyone would harm him if he carried it." Ken tried to hand the golden chain to the young prince, but he backed away immediately and hissed at the man who made him bleed.

Lily smiled and bent down to her son who was still glaring at the strangers that caused him pain. Taking the necklace from Ken's outstretched hand, she placed the shining chain around the child's neck. He wrinkled his nose at the gift and tucked it into his shirt so that no one would see. "Darien," she admonished, barely suppressing a laugh.

Damien turned to Ken, "I will sign it."

Before Ken could even offer a pen, a quill appeared from nowhere and Damien wrote his name in a long, curved script... a forbidden language that few knew. Ken looked down at the scroll and saw the name 'Dracula' staring back at him. He looked from the signature to his daughter and sighed. Her life took precedence over all else. Although every bone in his body told him not to, he took the quill from Damien's hand and signed his name. It was finished. He had promised his daughter to the Prince of the Damned.

Hanging his head in shame, he placed a hand on his daughter's head and she gurgled happily. "We will come back when she is old enough."

Lily nodded, motioning for Ilene to bring the baby over. She turned to Darien, "Darling..." He looked up at her with wide eyes as one of the strangers brought a tiny baby with blonde curls and cornflower blue eyes down to his level, "meet your bride."

He stared at the baby, not comprehending his mother's words. With a small, pale hand outstretched, he lightly touched the infant's rosy cheek and she screeched at the cold touch. He reeled back at the sound and ran behind his mother's black skirts, whimpering.

"Funny, he almost seems human," the blonde woman scoffed, cradling the startled child.

Lily glowered at her. "You'd better get used to our ways, Ilene. After all, in a few years, we'll be family." 

Turning up her nose at the woman, Ilene gathered their things. "Unfortunately. Now if you'll excuse us... we have better things to do than mingle with the undead."

Ken put a hand on her shoulder, "It's alright, Ilene." He turned to the seething couple. "We will see you again..."

The couple remained silent and a cold wind rushed through the room suddenly. Without warning, the heavy oak doors flew open and Ken knew that they had outstayed their welcome. Quickly exiting the throne room of the underground palace, he and his wife ran up to ground level.

As soon as they walked out into the cool night air, Ilene let out a sigh. "Did we do the right thing, Ken?"

"No, you didn't," a voice ground out, and both froze at the sound of the intruder.

Ilene screamed as she felt a handgun pressed up against her back of her head. 

Behind them stood Ken's longtime lab partner, Beryl Stratovsky. "I told you not to make a deal with them! Why the hell would you attempt to produce a child with the undead?" she screeched, red hair flying about her crazily in the wintry wind.

Ken breathed deeply, "Beryl, just put the gun down."

Her emerald eyes narrowed. "No! You know what I am... You know what my sons are. Warlocks aren't immortal but they're better than those filthy bloodsuckers!"

He sighed. "They would have killed her. It ended the war."

She cackled maniacally, jabbing the gun into the back of Ilene's head. "Oh no, Ken, you've just begun the war." Wrenching Ilene around, she motioned to the terrified blonde child. "Give me the baby."

"Never!" she screamed, clutching the baby to her chest as she sobbed inconsolably. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the gun, trying to dismantle it through telekinesis. Day Walkers generally had excellent telepathy and telekinetic abilities, but in such a stressful situation, she could barely even concentrate on the object.

Beryl sneered. "You really think that will work, Ilene? Being a witch does have a few advantages... spells that are resistant to certain powers..." She looked to the child who was now crying hysterically. "Give me the child... you wouldn't want her to get hurt, now would you?"

Ilene looked helplessly from her husband to her sobbing daughter. Defeated, she carefully handed Serena to the woman. "Don't hurt her..." she choked through her tears, looking at her child desperately.

Smiling triumphantly, Beryl turned to face a black car parked under a tree nearby. "Diamond!" she called, cradling the baby.

A five year-old boy with pure white hair emerged from the car. They knew what he was... a warlock. Ilene shook her head furiously but Beryl paid her no heed as she kneeled down to his level. "Take this back to the car and don't move from that spot. Mommy will be back soon."

Serena screamed and cried when she lost sight of her parents as the boy carried her to the black car. The young boy gently placed her in the car and a few seconds later... two gunshots were heard outside of the sedan.

As Beryl placed the gun back in her holster, she muttered an incantation in a foreign tongue. With a puff of red smoke, the bodies disappeared and she sighed contentedly. Serena would never know of her betrothal to the vampire prince and the hybrid would never be born... 

END PROLOGUE

AN: Kind of depressing, huh? Unfortunately, Serena's parents had to die for the story to work. I hope this chapter was ok... I've never written anything like this before so feedback would be much appreciated. So shall I continue? Or shall it be lost to the abyss of unfinished, crappy stories in my computer? Please leave a review and let me know! Thanks! 


	2. One

Bloodlust 

By Usabelle

AN: Happy holidays, readers! Here's my present to you: Chapter One of Bloodlust! This chapter will jump forward a few years. I just wanted to skip over all the boring in-between years when nothing happened. I also need to answer questions about Day Walkers- I completely made this 'species' up, so if there are any similar supernatural creatures out there like them, then it's purely coincidence because in my story, they're mortals with telepathy, telekinesis, and they have silver blood. Does that clear things up a bit? I hope so. Since I'm keeping you from reading, I'll stop now. Of course, if you get a chance, please leave a review. It always helps to see what readers like and don't like. So let me know!

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Chapter One

"Aunt Beryl? Aunt Beryl are you here?" A young blonde entered the dark house, clutching her light blue windbreaker around her slight body as the heavy door creaked shut. She shivered as she took a few hesitant steps in the dark entryway. It was always so cold in there...

Out of a poorly lit hall strode a middle-aged woman with fiery red hair and tired green eyes. Her frigid features brightened at the sight of the blonde. "Oh, Serena! I'm so glad you're home, darling!" She hugged the younger woman, smiling warmly. "You never come home often enough!"

Serena nodded regretfully as she smoothed down her golden curls that were mussed by the chilly October winds. "I'm sorry, Aunt Beryl, but my courses have been murder."

Beryl shook her head reproachfully, creases forming in her leathery skin as she frowned. "I told you not to study hematology! Studying blood is so morbid! Why couldn't you be a... geologist... or a psychiatrist? Anything-"

Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, Serena finished her sentence. "-But that horrible blood science. I know, I know," she sighed. Ever since she could remember, she loved hematology. Whether it was because she had some sort of strange fascination with blood or because it was what her father studied, she knew that she'd work in the field. And even though Beryl was a scientist herself, she'd fought her every step of the way. "But I really like it. I think that there could be some major breakthroughs in the next few years and I want to be a part of them. Actually," a rosy flush came to her pale cheeks, "I kind of came here to look at some of your research books in the lab. I have a project due soon."

Familiar emerald eyes gazed upon the younger woman sadly. "You only came to see me for books? I'm hurt. You know you're like my daughter, Serena."

Serena sighed guiltily. The woman had raised her from birth when her parents passed away in a terrible lab accident. At the time, Beryl was a widow with two sons and just because she worked with her father, she took her in. The least she could do was visit every once and a while. "I'm sorry, Aunt Beryl. Between school and work, I haven't had a minute. But I promise I'll visit more often."

She really hadn't had the time to visit- as of late, she'd been working at least forty hours a week at the local coffee shop and her homework had been piling up. Despite Beryl's insistence, Serena paid her own way through college and in the past few weeks, she was beginning to regret it. Freshman year it wasn't that much of a problem, but now... now it was definitely a problem. She didn't know how much more multitasking she could do. However, if she got the grant she'd been working so hard for, life would get much easier. As she looked at the harried woman she considered her mother, she smirked. Not that much easier.

A smile graced the woman's sharp features. "It seems like you're more grown up every time you come visit...look at you! Just like a princess!" Her forest green eyes began to tear. Serena looked down at her rumpled jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt with a metallic pink Hello Kitty logo. Just like a princess. Sure. "Now, since it's your birthday tomorrow, I have a little surprise for you."

"Really?" Serena asked excitedly, her azure eyes lighting up like a child's. She loved surprises... although Beryl's idea of surprise usually meant a new paramecium sample or a spectrophotometer.

Beryl nodded vigorously, frizzy red hair moving about crazily. "Diamond's home! He came home from medical school just for your twentieth birthday! Isn't that wonderful?"

Serena managed a tight smile, pink lips barely curving upward. "Oh... wow! I'm... so excited! Thanks, Aunt Beryl." 'Gee, did that sound insincere enough?' she thought sarcastically. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him, but ever since she was old enough to date, Beryl had thrown them together again and again. She bit her lip. It almost seemed as if she wanted them to date, but that was ridiculous... wasn't it?

Pushing her in the direction of the in-house laboratory, Beryl smiled in satisfaction. "He's in the lab. He can help you with anything you need."

Barely stifling a groan, Serena smiled and walked down the hall. From the time she was a child, Beryl had always restricted her from going certain places in the lab... opening flasks filled with strange liquids... reading certain books high up on the bookshelves... Of course Diamond would be in there- she was never left alone in that room. It had always bothered her but once she went off to college, she hadn't thought about it.

Walking down the few steps to the lab, Serena smiled as she heard a familiar voice. Sapphire. She'd always liked Sapphire better than Diamond. Sapphire was her older brother whereas Diamond... well, she was never sure what to think of Diamond. He always watched her with a strange possessiveness within those haunting amethyst eyes. It was anything but brotherly. She'd never dated, mostly because every time she brought home a boy, Diamond would scare him off with embarrassing questions and horrible glares. So after a while, she stopped bringing boys home and Diamond seemed happy enough.

Diamond never dated anyone seriously in all of the years she'd known him and for some reason she found it odd. Once or twice she thought that he like liked her, but she always chalked it up to a poor night's sleep. Sure, he was handsome and mysterious, but she wanted something else... something she couldn't explain. It just didn't fit.

She'd been fairly unhappy as of late. The boys at college were juvenile and their primary concerns were either getting drunk or getting laid. She frowned as she kept herself hidden in the doorway. If she told Diamond about the guys, she'd find herself permanently transferred to an all-girls school. He was so protective that sometimes it scared her... Suddenly, a shout broke through her thoughts. It sounded like Diamond was arguing with Sapphire.

"We'll have to tell her sometime! They'll find her eventually!" She recognized the raised voice as Sapphire's.

"We never have to tell her! If she finds out, she'll leave!" Diamond shot back, a dangerous edge to his voice.

"Well maybe she should! She's safer with those freaks than with you. You're fucking obsessed with her!" Serena's cobalt eyes widened at the profanity. Sapphire never cursed...

"Take that back." Diamond's tone was deadly quiet.

"No! You know it's the truth!" Sapphire's tone was defiant despite the threat that hung unspoken in the air.

All of a sudden, the room was filled with a bright red glow that filtered out into the hall where Serena stood. Backing away slowly, she was about to run when she heard an explosion and a cry of pain.

Running into the room filled with a strange red smoke, Serena could barely see two feet in front of her. The normally immaculate room was covered in broken glass and various chemicals. As soon as the smoke cleared, she found Sapphire laying on the floor, blood running in thin rivulets down his forehead. "Oh my God! What happened?" She rushed to his side, putting a hand to his injured head and holding it there. Within a few seconds, a pulsing silver light came from her hand and the wound closed.

Serena was no normal college student. She was always 'special.' So special that she could even read minds on occasion, use telekinesis, and of course, heal minor injuries. Her gifts had always been kept a secret, because, as Beryl said, if it got out that she was special, she would be subjected to testing for the rest of her life. Bad people would come after her, so she was forced to subdue her powers... gifts that came so naturally that they were difficult to suppress. The whole family had strange powers, but none like hers... nothing like hers...

Staring down at her injured brother, she noticed that he was glaring at a figure to his left. She turned to find Diamond standing over them, emotionless. His pure white hair hung in his eyes unheeded as he adjusted the torn black shirt hanging across his muscled chest.

However, as soon as his gaze fixed on her, his violet eyes automatically softened. "He mixed chemicals that he shouldn't have. His experiment was unstable and it combusted."

Sapphire said nothing in return, his features hardening. He simply stared at his older brother hatefully and sat up. "I think I'll go lie down. Thanks for healing me, Sere. I'm glad you're back."

She smiled as she helped the dark-haired man up, "It was nothing. Are you sure you can-"

He cut her off, blue eyes boring into hers sternly. "I'm fine. Goodnight."

Sighing, she watched him leave. What on earth were they talking about? She was fairly positive that Diamond caused the explosion, but she wasn't about to say anything. Straightening up, she turned to find herself nose-to-nose with the white-haired man.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, gently resting a hand on her arm.

She grew uncomfortable with his closeness and backed up, blushing. "I'm fine. I just hope Sapphire's okay."

"He's fine. I'm glad you're here," he whispered, not taking his eyes off of her.

Now extremely uncomfortable, Serena stared at the ground, blushing. "Actually, I came here to pick up some books."

A look of surprise and disappointment crossed his dark features. The man had a face of stone and whenever he did exhibit any type of emotion, she noticed that it was usually a negative one... except when it came to her. "What kind?"

She shrugged, walking over to a bookcase and perusing the various titles. "I dunno... something on biology." Okay, so maybe she wasn't looking for a generic bio book, but he didn't need to know that. She was really looking for hematology books, but Diamond held the same distaste for the profession that his mother did.

He moved to follow and she gritted her teeth in annoyance. She whirled around and he stopped, confused. "Uh, Diamond? Could you... um... give me some time to do a little research down here? I don't mean to be rude but I can't concentrate with other people around," she requested sheepishly.

At that moment, Diamond froze. Her shy smile was identical to her mother's. Her real mother's. He still remembered the woman... Serena looked very much like her. But she would never know about her real mother and she would never be left alone to find his mother's logs on blood experimentation. "I'm not other people. It's just me," he tried, desperately searching for a way to stay in the laboratory.

She frowned. "Give me five minutes, okay?" Peeking up at him through thick lashes, she saw that he was breaking down.

He sighed, not being able to resist the pleading look she gave him. "Fine. I'll be back down in a little bit." He waved goodbye, but it was unnoticed because the blonde woman was already searching through the bookcases.

Serena bit her lip as she came to a section on Beryl's early experiments. For some reason, Beryl would never let her see them. She stood on her tiptoes and spied a leather-bound book titled "Blood Types and Their Antigens" on the top shelf. Unfortunately, she was far too short to reach the high bookshelf. Glancing behind her anxiously, she bit her lip as she turned around and concentrated on the book. Her eyes narrowed and glowed a silver-blue as the book levitated and floated to her waiting hand. Grinning, she slipped the book into her bag. She loved using her 'gifts' when nobody was there to scold her about them.

Quietly slipping out of the lab, Serena made her way to the front door without a sound. Yelling a quick goodbye, she rushed out the door. Maybe it wasn't the nicest thing to do, but she had to get to work and didn't have time for a three-hour chat with Diamond. She'd avoided his interrogations and relentless stares this time. Breathing a sigh of relief, she opened her car door and threw the black bag in. Just before she drove away, she glanced up at a second floor balcony and gasped. He was there, watching her. He was always watching her...

* * *

Serena sat on the top bunk of her dorm room bed in pajamas. She'd been looking through the book for the past hour and hadn't come up with anything conclusive. What looked like an extensive collection of findings ended up being a bunch of random scribbles about Day Walker blood and conversion factors. Well, whatever a Day Walker was, Beryl was really obsessed with them in her early days. Sighing, Serena shut the leather-bound book and fell back onto her pillow.

She played with the silver chain around her neck. It was the only thing she'd received from her parents and she treasured it. Tracing the swirls of fine silver, she looked at the material closely and noticed a faint script on the metal. Squinting, she struggled to read the fine print. She wasn't sure of the language, but it certainly wasn't English. Her brow furrowed as she examined the necklace. How had she not noticed it before?

Granted, the script was very, very faint and could only be seen when the light hit it at just the right angle, but she'd worn it ever since she could remember! She stared at the pendant hanging off of the silver chain. Silver swirled around a glass vial filled with some strange liquid. It looked like blood, but... not. The liquid was too dark to be human blood... but just the right consistency.

Her glacial eyes narrowed as she twirled the pendant between her fingers. Were here parents sadists? Probably not. She'd asked Beryl about it a million times and she denied knowing anything. Staring at the liquid again, she tilted her head and watched it stick slightly to the glass edges of the pendant. Maybe it was some mythical creature's blood. At that thought, she burst out laughing. She'd officially gone crazy from lack of sleep.

Serena woke with a nagging feeling. She looked to the calendar next to her bed to find October 28th circled with a thick red marker. It was her birthday. Sighing, she stared up at the white stucco ceiling of her dorm room. Everyone in her family had been acting so strange about this birthday. Normally, they would get her a cake and some presents and let her go out with her friends. But for some reason, this one was different. She really didn't understand why, though. Wasn't 21 the important birthday? They were making such a big deal about it- they insisted that she spend the whole day with them.

Not that she minded... it was just weird. But then again, everything about her life was weird. She had silver blood, for goodness sake! Sometimes she felt... misplaced. She'd grown up in a household where she never truly fit in, she couldn't even remember her real parents, and although she was friendly, she found it difficult to make friends. People just looked at her differently. Nobody wanted to be around her because she wasn't quite human. They sensed it, she knew, and they were afraid of it.

Shaking her head, Serena stopped the pity party going on in her mind and quietly slipped out of bed, so as not to wake her roommate. She had a long day ahead of her.

* * *

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Serena, happy birthday to you!"

Serena smiled gratefully as her family sang to her as she sat at the kitchen table. A chocolate cake with twenty candles flickered against her delicate features as they finished singing to her. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she tried to think of a good wish... it couldn't hurt, she reasoned.

"Well?" Beryl asked as Serena sat in silence.

She looked up in frustration. "I'm thinking of a wish! Give me a minute!" What did she want? Suddenly it came to her. She closed her eyes tight just before she blew out the candles. 'I wish I'd fit in somewhere.' With that, she took in a breath and blew out the candles.

Grinning, she grabbed a knife and cut the cake decorated with pink and white frosting roses. Licking her lips, she eagerly dug into the slice before her; chocolate was her favorite. She momentarily looked up to find her family staring at her amusedly. A blush rose to her cheeks and she put her fork down, "Anyone else want cake?"

Beryl smiled. "You have presents to open, young lady." She handed her a large box wrapped in glittery pink paper. "This one is from me."

Ripping the paper off just like a child, she opened the box to find... several humongous books on the study of geology. Yay. "Wow... thanks, Aunt Beryl! I love it!" She gave the woman a hug and smiled widely, although she was a bit agitated on the inside. No, she wasn't greedy- it was the fact that Beryl was trying to control her life through her birthday presents that made her angry. She'd always wanted her to study geology.

Nodding, Beryl took one of the books from her hands. "My colleague said that it was the most comprehensive collection he'd seen in a long time. I figured that you might enjoy it as well- it's a collector's edition!"

Serena's blonde head bobbed up and down in agreement. "I'm sure I will," she said kindly, placing the stack of heavy books on the table. Another present was handed to her, but this one was smaller and wrapped in plain blue paper. It had to be from Sapphire; it was so like him. She smiled wryly, "I'm guessing this one's from Sapphire?"

He nodded, a smile crossing his usually somber features. "However did you know?"

Beryl rolled her eyes, a hideous scowl appearing on her tired features. "She knows that you couldn't pick out something nice if you tried."

Serena's pink lips pulled into a frown. Beryl had always disliked her younger son. Maybe it was because he wasn't a genius like his older brother or maybe it was because he wasn't interested in being a scientist. Whatever the reason, she'd always been cold and reproachful when it came to Sapphire. "I'm sure I'll love it," she said encouragingly, pushing away the dark paper. She opened the box and found a beautiful silver book inside. Opening the front page, she gasped. It was a photo album of her childhood! "Oh my gosh, did you make this?"

Sapphire blushed and nodded. "Yeah..."

Pictures she'd never remembered taking covered the pages... from the time she was two years old to the present. And as she got to the last page, she spotted a picture of her as an infant... with her parents. Her eyes filled with tears, "Sapphire..."

Beryl's green eyes narrowed on her younger son contemptuously. "Look what you've done, you idiot! You made her cry! What, you couldn't even afford to get her a real present? Maybe if you got a real job-"

He stood up, fuming. "What is a real job, mother? Just because I'm not a genius scientist like you my job is nothing? I'm a photographer and I'm not going to apologize for not being Diamond's clone!"

The room was thick with tension and Serena had to put an end to it. "Stop it! I love the gift! The only reason that I was crying was because I was happy... I don't remember my parents and that really meant a lot." She walked over to her seething brother and gave him a hug, "Thank you." Whispering so quietly that only he could hear, she said, "Now I know why I like you best."

Sapphire smirked. "You're welcome."

Serena let go of her brother and turned around to find Diamond staring at them angrily... almost enviously. Her face reddened and she looked away. Diamond pulled a small box out of his pocket and walked over to her. "For you," he said quietly, pressing the box into her hand.

She smiled gratefully, "Thanks." Pushing away the wrapping paper, she found a small velvet box. She opened it to find a glittering heart-shaped diamond pendant set in platinum. "It's beautiful," she whispered, in awe of the expensive gift.

His normally harsh face lit up at her reaction. Carefully, he took the glittering pendant out of the box, "I figured that you could wear this to replace that horrible old one you always wear."

A hand flew up to her throat nervously. She never took off her necklace. "But I-"

He put a finger to her lips, quieting her. "No need to say anything. You deserve it." Gently, his hand moved to the back of her neck, pushing her soft blonde curls out of the way. As she felt his cold fingers on the clasp of the necklace, she moved away, "No! I... I can't take this off."

His amethyst eyes narrowed, his lips in a tight line. "Why? It's so old and cheap looking!"

She gasped angrily and moved back. "My parents... it's all I have left of them... you understand, don't you?"

He glared at her. "No, I don't understand. I bought you a ten karat diamond and you don't want it? That's just not normal. You're not normal," he spat cruelly.

Her eyes filled with crystalline tears as she struggled to breathe. "I can't believe you said that..." Disgusted and hurt beyond belief, she ran out of the room and up the stairs to her old bedroom, slamming the door.

* * *

A dark haired man awoke from his slumber in the late afternoon. As his ocean colored eyes sharpened and his black and red room came into view, he pushed the red silk comforter off and sat up. His muscles were still stiff from sleep, as they always were after every hibernation during the day. Stretching, he slipped out of bed and walked over to the mirror in his room in nothing but black silk boxers. Normally, vampires didn't have reflections, but this mirror was special... he was special.

His thick raven hair fell into his eyes and he pushed it away, analyzing his appearance. Today he was to meet his bride... his Queen. And she wouldn't just be his wife in name only. He stared at his reflection in scrutiny; would she be impressed? Perhaps he was a bit pale, but all vampires were. He patted his flat stomach, muscles rippling under his fair skin. All of the training he did kept him in shape... wouldn't she be happy? Grinning rakishly, he figured that the vampire women of the court were, so wouldn't she? He certainly hoped so, since they were required to have children. His people needed an heir and illegitimate children were simply not allowed.

Loyalty was of the utmost importance to vampires, despite what people thought. His full lips pulled into a frown as he thought of the Day Walker woman... would she be faithful to him? He'd waited for her... had she waited for him? The thought disturbed him more than it should have.

He wondered what she looked like... he hadn't seen her since she was a baby. His parents had told him that all Day Walkers were beautiful... the untainted image of purity. With light hair and eyes, they were the exact opposite of vampires. All vampires possessed a dark, dangerous beauty, but a Day Walker... a Day Walker resembled an angel.

A smirk graced his handsome features as he stared at his reflection. He wasn't exactly an angel... more like a demon. His eyes were such a strange color... a navy blue with flecks of silver that seemed to freeze people when he was angry or melt them when he was happy. Most vampires had eyes that glowed red or gold, but he inherited his father's startling blue... and his mother's glaring red when he was angered.

Shaking his head self-deprecatingly, he moved to get ready. She would arrive soon.

* * *

How could he have said that? He knew how insecure she was! He knew that she hated being different! Tears flowed from Serena's eyes as she buried her head in the familiar pink pillow. When her sobs subsided to hiccups, she sat up on the bed. Climbing off, she walked over to the girlish pink vanity that reminded her of her childhood.

Serena stared at her reflection in the glitter-framed mirror and gave a lopsided smile as a tear trickled down her pallid face. What was wrong with her? She was so different... always so different from everyone else. Shaking her blonde locks out of her intricate hairstyle done specially for her birthday, she put her hair back up in the regular 'meatball' hairstyle. Her room began to feel stuffy, so she made her way out to the balcony at the edge of her room.

She sighed as she looked up at the moon. Full moons were her favorite. A shiver ran up her spine as she stood on the balcony in only a light pink dress. She stared out at the illuminated night sky and wondered if she'd ever find a place where she'd be happy... because with a strange, sudden clarity, she realized that she wasn't happy there.

"You put your hair up," a deep voice spoke behind her quietly and she whirled around at the noise, only to find Diamond leaning in the doorway.

"Yes, it's more comfortable this way," she touched a bun self-consciously.

He shook his head and strands of silver-white fell in his eyes. "No... I like it. I've always liked it." When she didn't respond, he frowned. "I'm sorry... for what I said," She quickly wiped away the remainder of her tears as he strode forward. "I shouldn't have said it."

She sighed and turned back around, resting her elbows on the rod iron surface of the balcony ledge. "It's okay."

He moved next to her, "Why are you so attached to the past, Serena? Aren't you happy here?"

Cocking her head to the side, she stared at him sadly. "I never knew them, Diamond. All I know of my parents are their names and professions. I don't know what they liked, what they didn't like, if they loved me... I have no idea. And maybe they would have been like me... you know, different."

"You think different is such a bad thing, but it's not. I'm different too... warlocks aren't exactly the most popular people in society."

She let go of the railing and began to pace, "At least you know what you are! I'm some freak with silver blood."

Without warning, he grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. "You are not a freak... you're wonderful and beautiful and kind and if people don't see that, then they're not worth your time," he whispered passionately.

Her eyes softened at his words. "Thank you, Diamond. I'm sorry about how I acted earlier."

"Don't worry about it; I'll buy you a tennis bracelet or something." When she moved to protest, he smiled and shook his head. "I have another present that I think will make up for it."

"Are you kidding? The necklace was plenty," she said incredulously, a slight smile playing on her face.

Diamond pressed forward, "I want to give you my gift."

She stared up at him, curious, "What's that?"

He smiled. "This." Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to hers.

Her eyes flew wide open and she stood still in his arms, stunned beyond words. As she stood there, pliant under his large frame, his kisses became more fervent and she didn't know what to do. The man she'd known her whole life was kissing her! She was confused and felt awkward and... wait... was that his tongue?

As he pressed her into him, she began to respond to his kisses. She brushed her lips against his lightly, unsure of what to do. Whatever it meant, he was a good kisser- she'd give him that. But something just wasn't right... it felt like she was betraying someone and something inside her broke. When his large hand slid up her waist to her breast, she broke the kiss and pulled away, shocked. "What was that?" she asked, her back against the balcony rail as she struggled to catch her breath.

He blushed and ran a hand through his disheveled hair, winded. "I... I've wanted to do that for a long time," he whispered shyly.

"Why did you do that?" she asked quietly, wrapping her arms around herself as she shivered from the cool autumn air. It amazed her how childlike her voice sounded.

"I um... I've had feelings for you for a while..." He stared at the stone floor of the balcony, not meeting her eyes.

Serena was terribly confused and she couldn't think of a thing to say, so she stayed silent. She'd never had a real relationship... what was she supposed to make of this? He looked up after a moment of her silence and found her avoiding him as well. "Do you... I mean... do you think that you could..." he couldn't get the question out and his voice shook.

Her cobalt eyes flew up to his shimmering violet ones and she froze. Did she feel that way? "I don't know," she whispered sincerely.

He blew out a breath and his face fell, disappointment clearly written all over his handsome features. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

She tried to paste a smile on her face but found that she didn't have the energy. Sighing, she simply stared up at him desperately. "Goodnight."

Nodding, his dejected form walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. As soon as he left the room, she let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. What had just happened? Running a hand through her thick blonde curls that had been mussed by Diamond, she shook her head. Something was wrong and she had no idea what it was. That nagging feeling she'd woken up with returned and she decided that it would be best to sleep and forget the day ever happened.

But one person across the city would never forget that day...

A young man dressed in all black paced the marble floor of the underground palace. Ever so often, his navy blue eyes would shift to the grandfather clock at the edge of the room and narrow with a rage that chilled the hearts of his companions.

"Darien, your pacing won't make them arrive any faster," Lily approached him sympathetically and put a hand on his shoulder.

He whirled around, agitation apparent in his handsome features. "Then why isn't she here yet, Mother? I've waited too long for this! It is almost midnight and we've heard no word from them." Running a hand through his raven hair frustratedly, he began to pace again.

A scantily clad vampiric woman sidled up to him, "I bet she isn't coming, your Highness. Mortals are all alike. Untrustworthy liars out to drive stakes through our hearts!"

Her high-pitched voice irritated him even more. "Leave me," he ground out and turned to a servant waiting in the darkness. "Bring me something to drink. Something strong."

Wordlessly, a servant rushed down a hall and returned a few moments later with a crystal glass filled with a dark amber liquid. Taking it from the servant's hand, he took a sip and felt it burn down his throat. His full lips pulled into a frown as he glanced at the clock again. One minute to midnight.

"Do they think that I'm going to kill them? Or is she too afraid to copulate with a vampire? I've waited my whole life for a woman I've met once! The least she could do is show up!" His blue eyes burned with fury.

"She still has a little time..." his father's voice cut through the tension in the room.

Darien directed an icy glare at his father. Why the hell were they giving her the benefit of the doubt? Her family hadn't even tried to contact them since the treaty was signed! He stood still, staring at the hand on the clock as it moved, second by second, toward the twelve. Each second made him angrier and he looked to the door once again. Nothing.

And as the grandfather clock began to chime, he threw the glass against the wall and it shattered. One... two... He watched the amber liquid spill to the floor. Three... Four... His mouth tightened as the entire hall went silent. Five... Six... The vampire council was beginning to retreat as they sensed his rage. Seven... Eight... Darien's eyes shifted to the empty throne and his blood boiled. Nine... Ten... Gasps could be heard in the darkness. Eleven... Twelve. Darien let out a scream of rage that resonated through the hearts of everyone present. He had been betrayed.

* * *

Serena shot up in bed in a cold sweat. She'd been having the most horrible nightmare... the details were fuzzy in her sleepy mind... but there had been an evil woman... a witch... with cold green eyes and a merciless smile... and she killed them! She killed them! Serena didn't even know who 'they' were, yet her eyes began to fill with tears. They shouldn't have died! Whoever they were... they didn't deserve to die... and for some strange reason, she felt guilty.

But that wasn't the end of her nightmare. She saw a man in the darkness... she couldn't see his face, but she knew what he felt... terrible pain... bitterness... He let out the most horrible scream and then... and then she woke up. She looked over to the red digits of her alarm clock glowing in her inky black room. Midnight. Sighing, she fluffed her pillow and laid back down, attempting to fall back asleep. Just before she closed her eyes, she glanced down at the necklace lying on her rising and falling chest. Her eyes flew open as she noticed something it had never done before: it was glowing. The pendant felt warm against her clammy skin and she screamed.

* * *

Darien stared at the unmoving doors at the corner of the room as his irises turned from a navy blue to a glowing red. His fangs elongated and he stalked toward the door to the outside world. "She has betrayed me..." he spat, muscles coiled in barely suppressed rage.

"Darien?" his mother chased after him worriedly. "Where are you going?"

As he reached the door, he turned to his mother with a determination that she'd never seen in her son. "To find my Queen."

END CHAPTER ONE

AN: Was it okay? Rest assured, this is an S/D fic. Serena doesn't know about her feelings for Diamond because she's never known love... just wait till she meets our favorite vampire!Before I forget- thank you to reviewers for the prologue! You encouraged me to write! Thanks a million! And also, to my dear editors... thanks for putting up with my rants and half-baked ideas! Anywho, if you have a second, please leave a review. Reviews are my favorite. So have a fantastic holiday and I'll do my best to have my New Year's present (another chapter) out to you as soon as possible.


	3. Two

Bloodlust 

By Usabelle

AN: Hi everybody! Happy 2005! See, I told you that I'd have a new year's present for you! When I read the reviews for chapter one (thank you!), it seemed that a lot of people were confused about whether or not Beryl was bad. Let's just say that she's got a motive for being so nice... she's hardcore evil. Also some people thought that there was a Serena/Sapphire pairing in the works. That won't happen. As adorable as he is, that's just not their relationship. I'll go into it more in the later chapters... he'll play a greater part later in the story. So here you go, Chapter Two of Bloodlust!

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Chapter Two

Darien scowled as he slumped against a brick wall in a dark alley. He'd been searching two nights now and he still hadn't found her. The necklace she was given called to him after the night she betrayed him. His pure and blinding anger had set a fire to the royal blood in the necklace, emitting a signal that he could track. Faint as though it was, he knew that she still had the necklace and he knew that she was near, but he still hadn't found her. Every person he asked had no recollection of a Serena Tsukino. Perhaps she had moved. Perhaps she had- wait! He felt a tugging sensation and knew that he was close. His ocean-colored eyes narrowed sharply as he scanned the immediate area. Nothing.

Slowly, the realization came upon him that he was standing in front of the local university. She was somewhere on the campus. 'Fantastic,' he thought wryly, 'the one person I'm trying to find is only one of thousands of students.' Suddenly, he felt a prickling sensation move up his spine. The sun! Cursing fluently, he took one last look at his vacant surroundings and fled for the underground keep. The sun wasn't up yet but he felt the warning in his bones... the warning every vampire got before sunup. He ran with an inhuman speed toward the keep, anger fueling his worn body.

How had she escaped him? The Prince of the Undead? And he was still only a prince because she hadn't held up her end of the bargain! He let out a breath as he came to a stop in front a large onyx dais on the ground in the middle of a thick forest. A trip that would have taken any normal person half an hour by car had taken him about five minutes. If anyone would have been on campus to witness his flight, all they would have seen was a blur. Vampires never left a trail. And they were never seen for long. But that was how they preferred it... how he preferred it.

Darien winced as his skin began to burn horribly. Quickly, his eyes flew to the horizon that was painted a pinkish-purple. Sunrise was near. "Damn it," he whispered as he took a shining golden blade from his holster. It was just his luck that no vampires stayed around this close to sunrise to open the door for him. The only other way to open the door to the keep was with a vampire's blood, but he was weak enough already from the few rays of light. Blood loss was the last thing he needed. With a heavy sigh, he brought the blade up to his arm and slashed his wrist.

He muttered a few words in a forbidden language as maroon blood spilled messily from the wound onto a ruby lodged in the middle of the dais. Before he knew it, the gem began to glow and the circular stone moved away to reveal a set of stairs. In a hazy delirium, he weakly made his way into the Onyx Palace.

As soon as he reached the bottom floor of the keep, servants rushed to his aid. He watched numbly as his wounded wrist finally stopped bleeding and a crystal glass filled with a dark crimson liquid was brought to his lips.

At the first sip of blood, he felt some of his strength return to him. He hadn't fed in over a day and his thirst had begun to take a toll on him. As soon as he finished the drink, his mother burst into the room, concern apparent in her dark features.

"Darien, where have you been?" she approached him worriedly, placing a hand on his cheek. She recoiled when she noticed that her hand was stained red from her son's blood.

He frowned, cringing as a servant dressed one of his many burns. "You know bloody well where I was."

"We will find her. There are already spies in the city. You know that she can't run forever and soon, our people will locate her and bring her here. But you will get yourself killed if you keep this up, Darien!"

He stood up abruptly and nearly fell back from the dizziness. Clutching the gilded armchair, he attempted to stare his mother down. "Only a royal can track her through the necklace. She's my mate. She's my problem," he said sharply, blue eyes on the verge of turning a tempestuous red.

"That's my boy." A dark, sinister voice entered the conversation and Darien easily recognized it as his father's. Damien had an affinity for sneaking up on people, much like his son. "So loyal. So determined. You are our salvation, son."

A weak smile graced Darien's tired features. All his life he'd been told that he was going to save their race. That he was going to bring about change... a new age for the vampires. And his father, the Lord of the Undead, had expected the impossible from him because of it. He was forced to be the strongest, the smartest, the fastest... because his father would tolerate nothing less from the future king. "I will go out again tomorrow night. I have a lead. She attends the local university, that much I know." When he was too weak to stand, he fell onto the silk-covered bed but covered his exhaustion with a look of determination.

Lily shook her head at her son reproachfully. "Darling, right now you need to rest. Worry about the girl later. You're wounded."

Darien glanced down to find horrible lacerations on his hands, which had been exposed to the first few rays of sun. He looked up at his mother in horror. "Does this happen every time?" Never before had he been exposed to sunlight. Everyone had always made sure to keep him away from danger because so much depended on him.

She gazed at him sadly and smoothed down his messy raven locks. "Yes... but through your line, one day the sun allergy will be eliminated. Don't worry, your wounds will heal during hibernation today." Her crimson eyes began to shimmer as she placed a hand to his forehead. "Sleep now, my child." With her simple command, Darien fell into a deep slumber.

Lily bit her lip as she stood and left the room with her husband. As soon as they were a safe distance away, she whirled around to face him. "You can't push him like that, Damien! He could have been killed!"

The dark lord merely smiled. "You worry needlessly, my love. Darien is my son. It takes more than a few rays of sunlight to obliterate us."

Her brow furrowed in anger at his arrogance. "The burns he sustained weren't minor. He will have to hibernate longer to heal completely. Don't expect so much from him."

Damien shook his head as he started walking back down the hall. "He'll be fine, darling. If I were you, I'd worry more about that fiancée of his."

* * *

Darien awoke late the next day. Groaning, he brought a hand up to his face and dimly noticed that the lacerations were almost completely healed. As gently as possible, he turned over in search of a clock. Stumbling out of bed, he wearily made his way to the ornate clock at the other end of the large room. When he noticed how late the hour was, he let out a growl of frustration and raked a hand through his disheveled hair. It was already eleven o'clock and he'd missed at least three good hours of searching.

As quickly as possible, he pulled on his black hunting outfit and made his way to the entrance of the keep. His mother spotted him just before he began climbing the stairs and he groaned. "Yes, mother?"

She stared at her son sadly. "Be careful, Darien. Promise?"

He sighed and gave a slight smile. "I promise. I'll be back before sunrise. This time, have someone there to open the door. I think we'll be having company tonight." With that, he left the underground palace and sped toward the university.

After only a few minutes, he arrived at the campus. Sneaking into the area where college students still roamed about, he was met with the stares of several young women. He smiled wryly at a particularly flirtatious one, thinking that he was most likely her worst nightmare- not a dating prospect.

A frown crossed his handsome face as he realized that he couldn't feel the Day Walker's presence anymore. It wasn't a large campus, so he figured that it wouldn't hurt to ask around. He approached a blonde who was walking toward the dormitories in a desolate area. "Excuse me, but I'm trying to find Serena Tsukino. Do you know her?"

The blonde smiled. "Actually, my friend's roommate is named Serena. Don't know about the last name, though... But she's definitely Serena! I don't think it's a common name..." She seemed lost in thought as she stared into space for a moment. He felt tempted to roll his eyes. Of course he picked a brainless one.

"Uh... she has blonde hair and blue eyes. Do you think that might be her?" He sighed as he realized that he'd given her the most vague description possible... the only things he could remember about her. And she could have even changed her appearance since then. He was about to walk away when the woman's eyes lit up.

"Oh my gosh! I bet it is! No way!" the bubbly blonde exclaimed, "I only met her once... real pretty but shy, you know? So anyway, why are you asking? Hey, I'm Mina. Maybe you'd like to go to this party that my friend's throwing tomorrow night?" He nearly groaned in frustration. She had the attention span of a flea.

His cerulean eyes narrowed and began to glow slightly. The only way to shut her up was through hypnotism. "Just tell me where she is," he spat in a steely voice, his glare cutting through her.

The woman's eyes went blank and she fell into a trance. "She... she works at the coffee shop on tenth a lot... or she could be in class... she's never at her dorm..." she responded mechanically.

Well, he reasoned that it was worth a shot even if she was an absolute moron. Wordlessly, he broke the trance he put her in and stalked away. Mina blinked and shook her head. What had she been doing? Wait... where did that guy go? She whirled around to find him nowhere in sight. Shrugging, she continued with a smile on her way to the dormitories.

Darien scowled. He'd practically been sent on a wild goose chase to find this damned woman! And for what? A title? As he reached the local coffee shop, he concluded that if it wasn't worth it, there'd be hell to pay. The bell jingled irritatingly as he entered the well-lit area. He cringed at the bright lights in the crowded room; he wasn't used to such unbearably bright light. However, as soon as he walked into the shop, he knew that she was there. He felt a strange tingling sensation... and he could smell her blood. It was sweet and inviting... a million times more tempting than a normal human's.

His dark eyes narrowed as he honed in on a beautiful blonde woman behind the mahogany counter. It had to be Serena. Angelic, soft features... a slight frame... full lips... a rosy complexion... she was everything he'd pictured in a Day Walker... everything he pictured in a wife. He knew instinctively that it was his betrothed. She smiled gently as she conversed with a male customer and he felt his blood boil in jealousy. Careful to control any vampiric reactions from his anger, he calmly walked toward the counter, pushing past overworked college students. Just before he reached the blonde, a woman grabbed his arm and his jaw tightened. Not now! Not when he was so close!

"Hi! Welcome to The Beanery! I'm Molly," the brunette greeted in a nasal voice.

"Hello," he said tightly, barely suppressing the urge to attack. He would've just used his hypnotic powers to move everyone out of the way, but he couldn't do it in such a crowded area. It was too easy to start attacking that many people. A bloodbath was the last thing he needed here.

She smiled flirtatiously despite his lack of reaction. "I was wondering if you'd like to try our new mint chocolate espresso?"

"No, thank you. Now if you'll ex-"

"Well then would you like to grab a coffee with me? I can go on break now."

'I'd rather eat mud,' he thought, and nearly screamed as Serena was approached by another man. Except, this one was wearing... an apron? He smirked as he looked at his 'competition'; huge glasses, braces, and terrible acne were his good points. An arrogant smirk played on his full lips. It was doubtful that she'd choose the boy over him. He briefly glanced at the woman in front of him who was staring up at him hopefully. "Sorry, I need to talk to Serena."

"Serena?" she asked disappointedly, and he nearly cringed at the nasal sound. She turned around to find the blonde and her manager disappear behind a green door leading to the employee lounge. "Oh... she's talkin' to Melvin right now. He's our manager. Sorry, but you'll have to wait."

He was the Prince of the Underworld and he had to wait because the woman was in a meeting?!? Frustrated, he stalked away and sat down in a chocolate brown loveseat, grabbing a thick book on an end table nearby. Him? Wait? It was ridiculous.

Thirty minutes later...

She still hadn't come out! What the hell was wrong? He'd scanned the tastefully decorated room several times now, but to no avail. Still the same students studying in the corner... two girls laughing irritatingly loud as they sipped mocha lattes... a young man typing away on a laptop... no sign of Serena.  
Suddenly, he saw the manager walk up to the counter. Glaring at the unfortunate looking young man, he shot up, throwing down the novel and stalking toward the counter. As soon as he reached the cash register, the man withdrew immediately. "Uh... c-can I h-help you?" he stumbled over his words, absolutely terrified.

"Where is Serena? I need to talk to her," he ground out darkly, ebony locks falling in his eyes and making him look even more dangerous.

Melvin turned his nose up at the intimidating man. "I'm not at liberty to say."

Darien grabbed the much shorter man by the collar and yanked him upwards. "Tell me where she is or you won't live to regret it."

"Sh-she is n-no longer emp-p-ployed here," he stuttered, shaking violently.

Darien felt his fangs elongate in his anger and he fought to suppress the change. "Where did she go?"

Melvin shook his head. "I don't know... she cleaned out her locker and left."

Thoroughly disgusted, Darien threw down the pathetic man. "You will rue the day you fucked with me and mine," he spat, sharply turning and walking away.

Just as he was about to leave, Molly spotted him and ran over. "Hello again! You want that coffee now?"

"No," he muttered darkly.

The brunette seemed unfazed by his obvious lack of interest. "Hmm... I don't want that coffee either. Well... uh... where did you get that outfit? Is that real leather? It's very nice." She smiled widely, placing a hand on his arm.

He nodded and removed her hand as discretely as possible. "Do you know where Serena went?"

She shook her head sadly. "Poor thing got fired... she really needed the money, too. Anyway, are you a model or something? You could be."

"Uh... sure."

Her head tilted to the side as she studied him. "Why do ya wanna know so much about Serena?"

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I need to speak with her. She owes me something."

"Oh no, you're not one of those bill collectors, are ya?" her brown eyes were wide with fear and he blew out a breath exasperatedly.

"No. I just need to find her."

Molly nodded. "Well if ya really need to find her, she'll be at the party tomorrow night."

"What party?"

She grinned. "Her roommate's boyfriend's Halloween party. It's at his family's mansion... you know, that huge house up on the hill overlooking the lake? Everyone'll be there. And I don't have a date..." she hinted none too discretely.

"Not interested," he said coldly. Subtlety obviously didn't work with her. He was about to pull on his black leather gloves and leave when she gasped. "What now?"

"You're bleeding!" she exclaimed and he looked down in boredom. Sure enough, the wound on his wrist had reopened and blood was spilling everywhere. "You need to get to a doctor! Wait, lemme take you!"

His glacial eyes narrowed and he pushed past her to the door. "I'm fine," he mumbled before disappearing into the night. As soon as Darien was a good distance away from the shop, he halted and braced himself against the wall of a building in the shadows. It was apparent that he wasn't fully healed and that he shouldn't have gone out in the first place.

He decided to head back to the keep. Despite his weakness, the night had proven to be productive after all. He could chase after her tonight, but he figured that it would be better to rest and find her the next night at the party. After all, he had to look his best when he met his Queen.

* * *

Serena scowled as she walked down the deserted sidewalk. She'd just been fired by her asshole of a boss, Melvin. There she was, talking up a customer when Melvin asked to speak with her privately. Apparently she'd been late one too many times and he decided that it was "in everyone's best interest" to let her go. Oh, how she wanted to pulverize the little nerd!

If he only knew the reasons why she'd been late the past few days! After she'd woken up everyone in Beryl's mansion the night of her birthday with her scream, they'd kept her up all night asking ridiculous questions. Was anybody following her? Had she met anyone with strange powers? How often did she go out at night? Ridiculous questions followed by no answers. And once Beryl and Diamond had seen her necklace glowing like it did, they demanded that she remove it... but Serena refused.

Sapphire simply sat there, rather amused at the situation. The only advice he offered was that maybe someone was trying to find her... and as soon as the words left his mouth, Beryl and Diamond sent him away. Beryl claimed that Sapphire didn't know what he was talking about and she and Diamond would find out why the necklace was glowing.

So the next day Beryl made her stay at the mansion. She'd missed class and work, but Beryl called in for her. And the next day, she was making up a lab she'd missed and was consequently late for work. Besides all of that, the necklace was still glowing! She'd kept it tucked beneath her shirt during the day but now that no one was around, she pulled it out. Still glowing red... still felt warm... She frowned as it lit up the dark area. Why the hell was it doing that? She was sorely tempted to test the liquid inside, but that meant breaking the glass... breaking what her parents gave her.

Her life was getting ridiculously complicated and Melvin had just made it harder. She sighed as she entered the dormitories. There was a Halloween party the next night and her roommate had been bothering her to go.

Well, she supposed that her schedule had opened quite a bit more and that now she had no excuse not to go to the party. And it was a costume party. Damn. It looked like she'd have to borrow something from her well-to-do roommate, Ann. Fan-freaking-tastic. When she reached her room, she slipped in quietly, only to realize that Ann and her boyfriend were... busy on the bottom bunk.

Serena blushed as she put a hand up in front of her face to shield her eyes. "Uh... any chance that this could be continued at a later time?"

The brunette sat up and adjusted her shirt unabashedly. "Oh Serena, you're such a killjoy."

Rolling her eyes, Serena turned around so that the couple could make themselves more presentable. "Sorry but I'm tired and I really don't feel like sleeping in the library tonight."

Ann's boyfriend, Alan smiled as he made his way to the door. "Sorry about that. Won't happen again."

Ann smirked as she kissed him goodbye. "Oh yes it will!"

Serena simply shook her head as she prepared for bed. She knew some very strange people.

Little did she know that she'd meet someone even stranger very soon...

Serena winced as Ann tightened the laces on the back of her gown. She was going to the Halloween party as a princess and Ann insisted that she wear her one-of-a-kind creation to the party. Yes, Ann was a fashion major and despite some of her hideous monstrosities in the past, Serena had to admit that this one was rather nice.

It was a beautiful off-the-shoulder gown of white and gold and despite how painful it was, it made Serena look like a princess. She blushed as she glanced down at the low-cut neckline. "Ann, I think the dress is too tight..."

Her roommate, dressed as a French maid, merely laughed. "Not at all! They're supposed to be pushed up like that, hon."

Serena's face reddened even more. "Uh... okay. But how am I supposed to get there? This dress is heavy and I don't think I could fit in a car." Not only was the gown heavily beaded but the layers of tulle beneath the white silk also prevented her from walking normally.

Ann rolled her eyes. "Aw, quit stalling. We're going to be late! And will you at least do something with your hair? You're putting my fine work to shame."

A wry smile played on Serena's face as she looked in the vanity mirror. Two familiar blonde buns sat atop her head as always with curled streamers flowing down. No matter what Ann said, she still loved the hairdo she'd worn since childhood. "I like my hair this way."

Shaking her head, Ann attached the frilly maid hat to her auburn hair and headed for the door. "Fine. Just throw on your tiara and let's go."

* * *

Serena frowned as she stood in a remote corner of the crowded room with a cup of punch in her hand. Ann had, of course, left her side the moment she spotted Alan and currently, the only thing she wanted to do was leave. She glanced at a clock on the wall. Only fifteen minutes? Sighing, she scanned the room of inebriated college students. She barely knew anyone there and the people she did know were too busy grinding or getting smashed.

Really, it was a shame because the house was lovely. It screamed wealth and if people weren't currently trashing it, she probably would have liked the place. A sparkling crystal chandelier hung overhead and she smirked as she found a fake spider hanging from it. Very nice. Her surroundings looked like a museum covered in cheap Halloween decorations. She cringed as a drunken young girl knocked over what looked to be an expensive vase. Apparently Alan's family hadn't college-proofed the area.

She stared down at the pinkish-red liquid in her Dixie cup. Not making eye contact was best, she supposed, because one wrong move and she too could end up on that dance floor with the mass of writhing bodies. Glancing at her roommate and her boyfriend, she smacked her forehead with her hand as she caught them doing everything but the reproductive act. Just as she was about to down the horrific smelling drink in hopes of forgetting the sight, she spotted Ann's best friend, Mina.

Serena immediately looked away, hoping that she'd be missed. As nice as the girl was, she wouldn't leave her alone. By the end of the night, she'd have Serena going out on a blind date with one of her friends. And that was the last thing she needed. After a moment, Serena couldn't see Mina and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Serena! I'm so glad you could make it!" The high-pitched voice made Serena flinch, and she turned around to find the bubbly blonde in a Catwoman bodysuit, grinning widely.

"Oh... hi Mina. Uh... nice to see you too," she spoke hesitantly.

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "So who are you here with?"

A frown pulled at Serena's glossy pink lips. "Nobody."

"Really? I thought you'd bring that guy with you."

Serena arched a golden brow in suspicion. "Who?"

"Oh my God... he was like the most gorgeous guy in the world! His eyes... and his hair! And, well he didn't smile but I bet his smile's fantastic too! He asked me where you were the other night... he needed to find you or something. Lucky girl! You haven't talked to him?"

She shook her head. "I don't even know who you're talking about."

"Well I hope you find him. And if you don't want him, send him over to me." Mina winked and Serena looked at her tiredly.

"Thanks," she deadpanned as Mina walked up to a random guy and started dancing. Serena's attention turned back to the cup of punch. It was looking better and better, which was really, really sad. She set the paper cup down on a marble table and decided to leave as a slow song came on. There was no point in staying. She was having a miserable time and... and...

She completely lost her train of thought as a dark-haired man walked through the white French doors. Wearing a red velvet lined black cape over a billowing white shirt and black pants, he looked very much like a vampire. A very sexy vampire, she admitted to herself. His perfect raven hair fell into piercing blue eyes and she found herself staring. As if by magic, his eyes suddenly met hers and she froze. He caught her looking at him! A blush crept up her cheeks as he stared back at her.

Attraction. There was a definite attraction as he gazed upon her from across the room. His slow, knowing smile made her stomach flip in anticipation. The man looked like a god and she simply stood there, unmoving.

Before she could blink, he was in front of her, the scent of cinnamon and musk invading her senses. "Dance with me, princess?"

"I... um..." Faintly she realized that he had already taken her in his arms and that they were moving in slow circles to the music. The man stared down at her, his midnight blue eyes a beautiful contract to the smooth alabaster skin and dark hair. She flushed; how lucky was she?

Biting her bottom lip gently as his hand played with the beaded material at her waist, she struggled to think of something intelligent to say. Trust her to meet the most incredible looking man in the world and go completely tongue-tied. Glancing up at the much taller man, she smiled slightly. "Nice costume," she commented softly, "A vampire?"

He smirked as he looked down at her, "The Prince of Vampires."

She grinned back at him. "Should I be afraid?"

He smiled again, but this time it was dark and dangerous. "Very." He glanced down at her and noticed a chain hanging around her neck. Running a long, gloved finger along the chain, he stopped at the swell of her breast where the chain disappeared under the dress. "What's this?"

A shiver ran down her spine at the cold touch. Although she couldn't entirely blame it on the cold... "It's... it's uh..." she stuttered, searching for some sort of explanation. Beryl had told her not to say anything about it to anyone. But he seemed... different.

Gently, he slipped the pendant out from beneath her dress. "It's very nice... an heirloom?"

Serena's eyes widened as she noticed sharp fangs that had seemingly appeared when he saw the necklace. "Oh my... your fangs... they almost look real..."

"They are," he said darkly.

Her brow furrowed as she lightly touched the pad of her index finger to the tip of a fang. She winced as it pierced her skin at the touch, drawing blood.

A cynical smile graced his handsome features as he let her bleeding finger slip into his mouth, suckling gently on the wounded tip.

She gasped as she felt his tongue slide over the wound in almost a caress. As he sucked on her finger, she noticed a crimson color growing in his hypnotic azure irises. He closed his eyes, as if in ecstasy and let go of her finger.  
Simply staring up at him, she made no move to leave. She trembled as his eyes opened and he stared at her lustfully.

He dragged his tongue along his lower lip, taking in the last of her spilled silver blood. "You taste wonderful, Serena." She started. "You know my name?"

"Serena Tsukino?"

"No, Stratovsky..." she paused, stunned as the realization came upon her. "I... how did you..."

His navy eyes seemed to pierce through her as he looked at her coldly. "Your name is Serena Tsukino." It was not a question, but a statement... a command.

She broke eye contact, now incredibly confused. "I suppose it was... a long time ago. But nobody knows that."

"I know many things," he murmured enigmatically.

His voice... dark and deep, lit a fire to her skin. "My parents... It was my father's name..."

"And you changed it?" he growled. Funny, he sounded almost angry.

Vaguely she noticed that she was backed up against a wall, far away from the partygoers. "Well... I was adopted, so my name changed." She blushed at her forwardness. "I really don't know why I'm telling you this. I don't even know you!"

"You know me," he whispered, "Or at least, you will."

"What are you talking about?"

He gave a sinister grin as he placed his hands on the wall behind her, blocking her exit. "You thought you could escape me, Princess. But I do not give up so easily."

She shook her head. "I really don't know what you're talking about."

His glacial eyes narrowed and she shivered in fear. "Yes, you do. You owe me something, and I most certainly intend to collect what I'm owed."

Now she was beginning to get angry. What the hell was his problem? "And what might that be?" she asked, head held high.

Darien's jaw tightened at her question. "Don't act like you don't remember, darling. You forget who I am."

She stared at him incredulously. "No, you haven't even told me your name!"

"Darien."

Serena spoke with a saccharine sweetness as she smiled up at him. "Well Darien, it was lovely meeting you and we should do this again-"

He smiled back arrogantly. "We won't need to. You're coming with me."

"Why should I?"

"You want to know how I found out your name? Do you want answers? Then come with me. Let's see if we can't jog your memory."

And against her will, Serena's feet began to move as she followed him out of the house. He held the answers she so desperately craved... and something else she couldn't name. And if he truly did try to threaten her, she could easily escape... couldn't she? She mentally nodded; her 'gifts' would protect from anything dangerous. But as she looked at the man she was following, she had a feeling that there was no way of ever escaping him.

Serena scowled as Darien moved quickly towards a wooded area at the edge of the property. "Excuse me, but can you slow down? I can't keep up. Where are you taking me anyway?"

He stopped suddenly and she nearly crashed into him. Turning around, he regarded her tiredly. "The Onyx Palace."

Her brow furrowed. "What's that?"

Rolling his eyes, he began to walk again. "My home."

"Oh," she nodded and followed closely behind him. "That sounds nice."

He smirked. "Funny, I never thought of the word 'nice' when describing it."

She moved so that she was walking next to him. "So... are you like a prince or something? You said you live in a palace, but how many palaces are there in upstate New York?"

"You'd be surprised... and I already told you I was a prince."

Her brow furrowed as she searched her memory. "Huh?"

He smiled coldly at her. "You haven't figured it out already?" When he received a blank look, he sighed. "I am a vampire."

Serena froze in complete and utter shock. He was a... a... "You're a... are you sure?"

A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest and if she weren't terrified, she would have found it attractive. "Positive."

She shook her head and began to back away. "I kind of find that hard to believe. A vampire?" It was unbelievable! She was beginning to feel threatened by the secretive man. "Listen, I'm not interested in joining your cult or whatever the hell it is."

He smiled as he advanced on her. "It's not a cult. And did you miss the fangs? I am the Prince of the Vampires."

Sure he was the Prince of the Vampires. And she was the princess of a long lost civilization. The man must have been joking. "Hang on. You want me to believe that you're one of those 'I vant to suck your bloooood' guys?"

His navy blue eyes narrowed at her question and he crossed his arms over his chest. "The mortal interpretation is more fiction than fact."

"So then what? Are you, like, allergic to sunlight and garlic and silver? Can you turn into a bat?" Serena threw her arms into the air when he simply looked at her amusedly.

"Again with the questions," he shook his head at her reproachfully and received a glare. "Fine. I can't be exposed to sunlight or silver. I don't eat garlic because I don't like the taste. And I can turn into a bat, but I prefer not to."

She stared at him with a mix of frustration and shock. Did she believe him? As she thought back to the episode with the fangs, she mentally nodded. "So you're really a vampire. Well how do I fit in to all of this? Are you going to suck my blood or something?"

He grinned lasciviously. "As much as I'd like to, no."

Still not convinced, she backed away. Her dark, dreary surroundings didn't help the situation. "Then are you going to turn me into a vampire?"

"No."

She growled in frustration. "Then what the hell do you want with me?"

Suddenly a frigid wind swept through the forested area and Serena immediately picked up Darien's change in demeanor. His eyes began to transform from a mesmerizing cerulean to a terrifying crimson. He began to stalk towards her and she clutched the tree behind her, unable to move. "I want what you have denied me," he ground out, staring at some unseen point in the distance. "I have been alone for so long. I have waited too many years for a future that continues to elude me!"

"What future?" she whispered faintly, struggling to breathe as she gripped the bark behind her.

He turned to her then, eyes glowing with anger and hatred. "My future as the Lord of the Undead... as King."

"Why... why can't you?" Her voice was paper-thin and could barely be heard amidst the howling of the wind. In her terror, she barely realized that the wind began to calm and his eyes started to turn back to their normal shade of blue.

A lopsided smile crept onto his angry features as his appearance began to change back to normal. "What is a king without his queen, Serena?" Absently, she noticed that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek and that his heavy-lidded eyes were staring at the silver chain around her pale neck.

With a gentle gloved hand, he lifted the necklace from her skin and she nearly protested until she saw the look on his face. Slipping it off, he held the silver pendant in front of her and the script she'd noticed a few days earlier became visible. "This is a promise. Do you know what it means?" He spoke softly and gently now, so different from a few moments before.

She struggled to find a single coherent thought as her senses were assaulted by his heady masculine scent. Attempting to concentrate on the question, she simply answered "No."

He smiled as he placed the necklace in her palm. His eyes... such a strange silver-blue, they reflected the moonlight and she felt herself get lost in the hypnotic gaze. All of her previous thoughts fled at the look on his face... so romantic. So... She gasped as she felt something warm graze her exposed neck. Glancing downward, she found him placing feather-light kisses right beneath her earlobe. Suddenly, he stopped and whispered in her ear. "It means that you are destined to be my Queen. You are meant for me, Serena."

She shuddered as he began to place open-mouthed kisses on her neck and she closed her eyes, savoring the sensation. Never before had she felt anything like that. His name was a faint whisper on her lips as his kisses became more ardent. The silver necklace slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground, unnoticed, as he pushed himself up against her, his arousal apparent in their closeness.

Darien was quite pleased with his betrothed. She would make an excellent queen. As he nuzzled her collarbone, he dipped his tongue into the hollow to taste the salty skin. At her sharp intake of breath, he grinned. Lifting his head, he found the blonde with her eyes closed, her head resting against the tall tree as she breathed deeply. "We can continue this later," he whispered, nudging her forward.

Her eyes snapped open at his words. "I... um... well..." she couldn't think of an intelligent thing to say. However, when he gave an arrogant smirk, she was quickly brought back to her senses. "How much farther is it? I don't think I can walk much more." Her heeled feet were absolutely killing her and her dress was weighing her down.

After staring at her searchingly for a moment, Darien checked their surroundings. His full lips pulled into a smile, "I can get us there quickly, but I suggest you hold on." He picked her up without warning and she squealed.

"What are you..." She couldn't get out another word because suddenly, they were moving at an inhuman speed through the forest. She clung to him for dear life as he moved swiftly and silently. Her surroundings were a blur of deep greens and brownish-blacks and she knew that it would be best to close her eyes.

Before she knew it, he stopped in a small clearing. Hesitantly opening her eyes, she slid off of him and studied her surroundings. Nothing could be seen through the circle of thick evergreen trees and it seemed as though this was only a tiny clearing in the vast forest they'd traveled through. She noticed a flat black dais on the ground, but other than that, the area was bare. "Uh... I don't see a palace," she said skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.

Neglecting to answer her, Darien simply stepped toward the dais, muttering a few words in a language that Serena did not recognize. Within seconds, the stone began to glow eerily and it moved away to reveal an ancient-looking staircase. Where the dark staircase led, Serena had no idea. And she didn't want to find out.

"We're not going in there, are we?" she nearly shrieked, backing away. Suddenly, Darien disappeared and she bumped into something. She turned around to find him right behind her, smiling that same arrogant smile. "How did you..."

He shook his head, raven locks falling into his eyes. "You ask far too many questions for your own good. Come, everyone is waiting."

"Who might everyone be? Your vampire friends?" she asked nervously, still nonmoving.

"No, bunnies and unicorns. Of course they're vampires!"

"And they don't want me for a midnight snack?"

He laughed quietly before his expression darkened in the moonlight. "They would very much like that. Which is precisely why we need to be careful."

* * *

Serena slowly made her way down to the ground floor of the Onyx Palace. Everywhere she looked, sharp black crystals shot upwards from the floor and reflected the flickering candlelight of the keep. Something deep and hidden within her cried out in warning; an ominous feeling came over her and she shivered. The palace lived up to its name. She heard whispers as she moved down the final steps to the bottom level. No one was visible in the darkness... only red and gold eyes glowing eerily. Her bare skin began to feel numb as the cold of the keep began to seep into her.

Darien picked up on her feelings immediately. He removed his long black and red cape and wrapped it around the shivering woman. "You're cold," he commented when she looked up at him questioningly.

"Can... can you read minds?" she asked quietly, keeping close to the intimidating man.

Snickers could be heard in the background and Serena's eyes widened in fear. "Occasionally...if emotions are strong enough." He glared into the darkness and all of a sudden, the laughter stopped.

Serena wrapped the cloak even tighter around her. She couldn't see much through the dim candlelight. Shining black columns lined the dark hall that seemed to go on forever. Her instincts told her that this place wasn't safe... but as she looked to the man striding confidently through the palace, she reasoned that he was. Putting a hand on his arm lightly, she stared up at him anxiously. "Darien, where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe." He couldn't trust his 'friends' to stay away from her. From the moment they'd entered the keep, he knew that his people sensed her. They knew she was different... they could sense it in her blood, just as he could. Day Walker blood tasted best... sweeter than normal blood... and he couldn't risk one of his friends discovering her unprotected.

Suddenly, a vampire lashed out in the darkness, hissing at the young blonde with venom in his golden eyes. Before Serena could blink, Darien had the man up against the wall with a silver-tipped dagger pointed straight at his heart. "Do you know who you were attacking?"

"No, my Lord."

Darien put the jewel-encrusted dagger back into his belt and glared venomously at the handsome man. "You were attacking your Lady Queen. Apologize."

The dark-haired man bowed mockingly at Serena who was shaking in fear. "My apologies, Lady Tsukino."

Serena said nothing, simply grabbing Darien's arm as he led her away from the frightening man. She could not stop her trembling as she followed him deeper into the keep. The light stroking of his hand on the side of her waist did little to assuage her fears.

He led her down a dark hallway to a room with an intricate gold keyhole. It was a room designed specifically for royal vampires. Only those blessed with the gift of a royal key were allowed entrance... she would be safe there until he could make their bond permanent. "This is your room. Only a vampire of royal birth can get in, so you will be safe."

Serena moved to the large velvet-covered bed slowly, taking a seat and staring at her still shaking hands. The room was beautiful and extravagantly decorated... but far too big for one person. "A-Are you leaving?"

Darien smirked as he leaned in the doorway. "So eager to have your way with me, Princess?"

She glared at him and picked up a plush red velvet pillow, tossing it as his handsome face. To her chagrin, he caught it easily. Biting her lip, she scanned the spacious room lit up by numerous candles. "It's very nice, but I don't intend on staying the night. I have class in the morning."

He laughed and she grew agitated. "That is no longer your concern." Stepping closer, a rosy flush crept up her cheeks in response to his proximity. "My needs are your main concern now. I will answer your questions later. Now you will sleep." He took a seat on the king-sized bed beside her and she nearly rolled into him from the movement.

Straightening up, she glared at him. "No," she shot back defiantly.

Smiling slightly, he put a hand to her forehead and stared down at her. His eyes began to shimmer and he commanded her once again. "Sleep."

"No. Are you trying to use your powers on me?"

A blush crept up his pallid features. "They only work on the weak-minded. I am pleased that you are not so easily seduced by my power... just my looks."

She gasped. "In your dreams! Now... get out. I'm tired."

He smiled slightly, leaning in so his lips almost touched hers. "As you wish," he whispered softly, lips just barely grazing her own. A fire had been lit within her at his simple action and she could tell that he'd had a similar reaction by the lust filled expression on his face. "Goodnight, Princess." Before she knew it, he was no longer in front of her and was standing by the door.

When he closed the door behind him, she realized that she was all alone in a strange place... a strange underground place where she couldn't even call for help. She sat in the quiet room, fear overtaking her. And suddenly, the lock on the door began to rattle. She gasped and shot off the bed, running to the other end of the room.

The door opened and in slipped a cloaked figure. Serena tried to make out who it was that lurked in the darkness, but to no avail. "Who's there?" she asked, and cursed herself for exposing the fear so apparent in her voice.

The figure allowed the hood to slip off of her head and reveal long raven hair and a set of startling purple eyes. She circled Serena who now held a candlestick in her hand in self-defense. "So you're the pretty little Day Walker?"

Serena looked at her strangely. "A what?"

Violet eyes glared at her venomously. "You never noticed strange powers? The urge to eradicate those different from you?"

She didn't know whether to be insulted or to press on. "I have powers, but I never-"

A mirthless smile graced the frigid woman's features. "And you thought it was coincidence? A gift?" She laughed and Serena stiffened at the noise. "You are not so lucky. My dear, you are simply the last of the Day Walkers."

"Day Walkers?"

The woman feigned shock. "Oh, don't tell me that mommy and daddy didn't tell you! Your fate is so important after all." Smirking, the dark-haired woman shook her head. "The salvation of our race rests in some useless girl's hands. It's sad, really."

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

The woman's eyes glowed a reddish-purple and Serena knew to back away. "A new breed... no more bloodlust... an invincible race..." Her voice was cold and cruel and chilled Serena's bones.

"Can you please explain what's going on?" Exasperation mixed with fear and it was blatantly obvious.

She scoffed at the blonde. "Why should I explain what you already know? It's been programmed into you, Lady Tsukino. The urge to procreate... to further your line... to ensure survival. You and my brother. Pathetic."

Serena gently bit her bottom lip. "Your brother?"

A bitter and hate-filled expression filled the vampiric woman. "Yes, Darien has a destiny to fulfill. Darien will bring about change. Darien has such a future ahead of him. Did they ever think that perhaps their daughter could bring about change?"

Darien? This was Darien's sister? Serena stepped forward in sympathy but stopped at the glare she received. "Listen, it looks like you have some serious issues with your brother and your parents, but-"

The dark-haired woman smirked. "You don't know the half of it. They say that the only way to ensure survival is to mate with the Day Walkers... I say eliminate them! Kill those who have slayed us... those who have ruined us!" Her fangs elongated and Serena stepped back.

"Please leave me alone." It was a quiet plea, but it rang out in the silent room.

"Leave our race alone, Day Walker! Our blood is on your hands, you filthy mortal and I'll be damned if your silver poison mixes with the royal line!" she spat, lunging at the blonde from across the room.

The last thing Serena remembered was crying out in fear before she blacked out.

END CHAPTER TWO

AN: So, what did you think? You may be a little confused about Darien's sister right now, but I'm going to explain it more in the third chapter. Since school's starting up again (yuck), the updates may take a little bit longer, but I'll try my hardest. I promise. Also, thanks a million billion trillion to my editors. You complete me. And reviewers? You light up my life. So before I get too emotional, I'm going to go. If you get a second, please leave a review. They really do help! Sometimes, they even make me write. :) Again, thanks a bunch and enjoy 2005!


	4. Three

Bloodlust 

By Usabelle

AN: Hey. 4 reasons for the ridiculously long wait: 1)Various illness... an ulcer, the flu, you name it, I had it. 2)Death in the family. 3)School, as expected. 4)This chapter had about 10 billion drafts until I got it the way I wanted it. Anyway, thanks so much to my reviewers for the last chapter! You're too kind! Since you've waited forever for this chapter, I won't keep you long: please review... I like them. Don't flame... they make me sad. With that said, enjoy!

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Chapter Three

Serena's mind swam in a hazy mist of confusion and terror. She vaguely heard a scream in the background and struggled to open her eyes. Crashes and the sound of tearing flesh alarmed her and she dazedly opened her eyes to reveal a bleary, silver-white light surrounding her.

"Raye! What the hell are you doing?" The voice was strangely familiar and she struggled to focus on the shadowy figure in front of her. Through the silvery glow, she made out the figure of a man standing over a woman cowering in fear. Darien. The name came to her automatically and in a rush of memories, she remembered everything that happened before she'd blacked out.

The silver glow began to dissipate and suddenly, Serena realized that she had a large gash on her forearm. She remembered holding up her arms in self-defense as the vampire woman lunged at her and then... and then everything went black. But then why was she standing in the middle of the room and the woman was a pathetic mass on the floor? The room was in shambles... it looked like there had been a severe explosion. With fear apparent in her ice blue eyes, she looked over to the raven-haired man standing over his sister in contempt.

"Darien?" It was a shaky plea, full of confusion and fear, and as soon as the words left her lips, his dark eyes flew to her face and softened. Dizziness threatened to overtake her as she began to sway slightly in the center of the room, and before she could say a word, he was standing before her.

Concern etched his usually intimidating features and he pulled her against him just as she was about to fall over. "Are you all right?" he asked gently, carrying her over to the tattered bed. As she felt the soft material beneath her, she sighed and he tenderly pushed a few golden wisps of hair from her face. His navy eyes were so comforting and strangely enough, she wasn't nearly as scared as she should have been.

Her pink lips turned upward in a smile as she studied the concerned man before her. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Pathetic," another voice spat, and Serena recognized it. Darien's sister leaned against the wall, dark crimson blood flowing out of a head wound unheeded.

Darien turned abruptly, staring at the dark-haired woman in hatred. "Who the hell do you think you are? You could have killed her!" His voice rang out in the silent room and even Serena recoiled at the bellow.

The woman smirked, violet eyes glowing eerily as she stared at them. "That was the plan, brother dear. How pathetic... taking a mortal's side over your own sister's."

"You bitch," he ground out, and suddenly, he appeared at the other end of the room with his sister in a chokehold. His voice was low and dark and Serena shivered at the sound. "You are not to touch her EVER again! She is soon to be your superior... your Queen. And if I ever see you so much as look at her wrong, there will be a stake through your heart before you can blink."

Raye struggled to breathe under his crushing grip but still managed an evil grin. "There are others who feel the way I do."

He smiled back coldly, his grip tightening even more. "And I am the absolute ruler."

Despite the fact that she was now choking, she continued to glower at him. "Not if she dies. Then you're nothing, like me. Pathetic."

A growl of fury emitted from his chest at her words as he slammed the back of her head against the wall. Blood from her wound spilled onto his hand yet he paid no attention to it. "Pathetic is having to stoop so low as to try and eradicate your future sister in law. Watch your step, Raye. I won't be nearly as lenient a king as father is. If you touch her, your blood will be spilled and I will feel no remorse." With that, he let her drop to the ground.

Serena sat in shock as she watched the woman Darien called his sister gulp frantic breaths of air. Bringing a pale hand to her raw throat, she stared at Serena in bitter hatred. The deep wound on the woman's forehead began to stop bleeding, and Serena couldn't help but feel horribly guilty that she was the cause of it.

Turning away from his sister, Darien offered a hand to Serena who seemed frozen on the bed. His hand was covered in his sister's blood and Serena reeled back in disgust. At her reaction, Darien's brow furrowed and he glanced down at his crimson-stained hand. Shrugging, he merely wiped the blood off and helped Serena off of the bed, stepping over his ailing sister.

As soon as they were out of the chaotic room, Serena stopped Darien by placing a hand on his arm. When he turned around, she cast a sideways glance at the demolished wall. "What... what happened in there?"

Sighing, he ran a hand through his ebony hair and looked at her nervously. "You defended yourself."

She stared at him in disbelief. "No I didn't! All I did was hold up my arms when she came at me! Then I blacked out!"

"And what do you think happened when you blacked out? Haven't you ever noticed that you're different?"

Gritting her teeth, she felt sorely tempted to scream but suppressed the urge. "I am reminded of it everyday of my life. But I've never done anything like that! I don't think I'm capable of anything like that."

He shook his head and smiled slightly. "You are capable of far more than you think, Serena."

At this point, Serena was tired of all of the vague half-answers she'd received. She was tired and injured and damn it, she just wanted to know what the hell was going on! "Listen, I've been tolerant of all this crap so far, but now I want answers! Why the hell did that happen and why did you nearly beat your sister to death without a second thought?" Her voice was sharp and to the point and she could tell that it infuriated him.

His irises began to change to the frightening maroon shade again and she retreated further into the dark hallway. Before she knew it, he had her up against a freezing cement wall, his icy fingers biting into the bare flesh of her upper arms. "I did what was necessary. Do you know how many of my people want you dead? Anyone from the court could suck you dry within minutes! So I suggest you start appreciating my protection." Suddenly, he wrenched away from her and began to pace in the dimly lit hall.

Serena shook as she stared at the enraged man. Intimidation was obviously his way of avoiding questions and it was wearing thin. If she really could defend herself like she'd done before, then she had nothing to fear. "So what, will I have to be glued to your side for the rest of my life so that nobody drinks my blood?"

He smiled coldly, crimson-colored eyes piercing through her. "No. That's what the blood bond is for."

"Blood bond?"

A smirk graced his handsome features as they began to shift back to normal. The glow in his eyes dissipated as he stared at her indignant form. "You will see. My mother will attend to you before the wedding to make sure that no... unfortunate incidents occur."

She bit her lip in worry and fear. "W-what kind?"

He stared at her darkly, his eyes reflecting the dim light of the candles fixed to the dreary walls. "Use your imagination."

Her cornflower blue eyes narrowed at him. "I never asked for this!"

"No, your parents did."

She faltered at the mention of her parents. "What?" she asked shakily, stepping into the light so she could see him more clearly.

His voice, rich and deep, filled the narrow hallway. "Your father signed a treaty long ago promising you to me. On your twentieth birthday you were to come to me and we were to be married. Sound familiar?"

She shook her head. "But why? Why would they... sell me to you?"

A dark, venomous look crossed his face at her question. "They didn't sell you, damn it! They did it so we wouldn't kill you!" he barked.

Numbly, she sank to the ground in shock. "So you would have killed me... how comforting." Her words were merely a whisper as she stared up at him sadly.

He faltered suddenly, all traces of anger fleeing his beautiful face. "No... I didn't mean it like that-" His voice was soft and contrite as he tried to dispel accusations that she knew were true. No, he would not have killed her... if he had come across her standing in the moonlight like she did that night, he would have turned her... made her his queen anyway.

She shook her head as a melancholy smile pulled at her lips. "You would have killed me... and you still would have been king. But for some strange reason, you need me. Why?"

His eyes held a naked, scared quality as he stared at her. "Our children will be the vampires' salvation. A new race will arise from our joining." He spoke hesitantly and quietly now, almost as though he was afraid he would break her.

"So I am your means of survival." She shook her head, standing up. "I am a merely a woman to carry your children... your monsters," she spat, growing angrier by the second. "And if I don't follow this treaty?"

He looked away. "The penalty is death." She nodded silently, staring at the pitch-black darkness before her. "Serena..." he whispered regretfully, but the contrition was lost on her.

Rolling her eyes, she began stalking down the foreboding passageway. "Don't bother. I understand perfectly well. Now if you'll show me to my room, I'm a bit tired."

"Serena, you don't understand..."

She smiled. "Oh, I do, Darien. I'll marry you... but if you think I'll give you children, you have another thing coming."

A hand shot out suddenly and caught her arm as she raced down the hall. Darien stopped her flight and held her against him for a moment, his cold, pale fingers tracing a pattern in the delicate beading of her dress. "Your words wound me, princess. Do you not find me a fitting mate?" His full lips pulled into a pout and she shivered.

"Right now I don't find you a fitting anything. Now get me somewhere to sleep before I fall over." She extricated herself from his embrace and motioned to the wound dripping with her silver blood.

He glanced down at the wound on her arm and his eyes began to turn that peculiar shade again as he advanced on her. "Perhaps I can do something about that..." his voice was smooth as silk as he stared, fixated on the wound.

Her eyes widened at his expression and she shook her head furiously, moving her arm out of his sight. "Oh no you don't. Darien, stop."

His smile chilled her. "Just for a second."

"Darien, no!" she shouted, and he blinked, coming out of his trance.

He stared at her confusedly, realizing what he was about to do. "Sorry," he said, deflated, "when the bloodlust hits, I can't stop it... especially when it comes to you."

"Just... just take me to a room, okay?" She was shaking horribly now and her world was beginning to spin.

"Fine," he glanced at her and noticed her pallor, "Serena?" She began to drop to the floor. "Serena!"

* * *

Serena awoke to the crackling sound of a fire and brought a hand up to her head. Opening her eyes, she noticed that the wound on her arm was completely healed and that she was no longer in the dark, dreary hallway of the keep.

Glancing to her left, she noticed a fireplace that illuminated the richly decorated room. The soft feel of the silk beneath her made her smile and she froze when she felt something else beside her. Turning around, she came face to face with a still-as-death Darien. His skin was an unearthly white as he slept and if it weren't for the faint breaths on her skin, she would've thought him dead.

She ran a hand along his bare shoulder and retreated at the touch; his skin was cold as ice. Nobody could have been alive like that... but she reasoned that he wasn't quite alive anyway. When she attempted to move off the bed, she winced in pain as she realized her hair, now loose from the confines of her buns, was stuck underneath the deeply slumbering man. Glancing down as she searched for a way to free herself, she noticed that she wasn't in the white and gold dress she'd arrived in. She was now in a long, black silk nightgown that clung to her like a second skin. A blush crept up her cheeks at the thought of him undressing her. Would he have been so bold to take those liberties? As she stared down at the deceptively innocent-looking man, she realized that he most likely would take great pleasure in it.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Serena jumped. The last time someone had tried to enter a room, she'd nearly been killed. Drawing up the silk covers around her, she scooted closer to Darien; even in his death-like sleep, she figured that she wouldn't be attacked if she were near him.

After a moment, the ebony door opened and a regal-looking woman stepped in. Serena withdrew immediately, instincts that she'd only become aware of recently kicking in.

The woman whose eyes so closely resembled Darien's smiled. "Do not worry, child. I will not attack you."

Still wary of the stranger, Serena nodded but kept her distance. "Who are you?"

"Do you not see the resemblance, child? I am Darien's mother, Lily. But you may call me your highness." The pristine woman smiled coldly and Serena looked at her strangely. This was Darien's mother... then why was she acting so cold? Maybe she'd been chatting with his sister, she thought wryly.

Serena glanced down at the sleeping man. "Is Darien all right? He's still as death."

The dark-haired woman smirked. "He would be. Currently he's in hibernation. He's overtired from searching for you without feeding. For hours he stayed up tending to your wounds until he collapsed from exhaustion." Her voice was almost bitter as she spoke in the quiet room.

Biting her lip, she looked away from them, overcome with guilt. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, tracing the embroidered pattern on the silk beneath her.

"Well you can make it up to him by giving him children."

Serena's eyes widened. "Excuse me? We're not even married!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Lily smiled. "In two night's time, you will be. You will fulfill your oath and you will give him children. Or you will be tortured by the vampire council. Either way, it doesn't matter to me, but Darien so wishes for this new race. I would hate to have to rip out your throat and disappoint him like that."

Anger boiled in Serena's blood at the woman's words. "What's with the hostility? I don't even know you and you're already threatening to kill me! What's with you people?"

Lily turned up her nose at the enraged woman. "It's in your nature to despise our kind."

"What the hell is your problem? I don't even know you!"

The woman's crimson eyes began to glow and Serena withdrew in fear. "You are my problem... just like your mother. Day Walkers are cruel murderers... and your mother was the worst."

Serena's eyes narrowed into sharp slits of blue fire. "What do you know about my mother?"

Lily rolled her eyes and took a seat in an ebony chair. "You look just like her... that hideous light-colored hair and that uncouth personality. I will never be able to convince the court that you are a lady."

"Listen, I didn't ask to be queen or whatever the hell you want me to be, but you can at least show me some fucking respect!"

She shot up again, crimson eyes glowering at the blonde woman. "You insolent wench... I could have you killed for speaking in such a manner!"

A smirk fell upon Serena's lips as she stared back coolly, unfazed by the woman's warning. "I'd like to see you try. But wait, then you'd have no hybrid monsters!"

"They won't be monsters."

A new voice entered the conversation and Serena froze. "Darien?"

Darien sat up in bed and stared at her, a mixture of hurt and anger in his navy blue eyes. "Our children won't be monsters... they'll be the most gifted individuals ever created." He spoke with passion and Serena was worried that he'd insist on making those children right then and there.

His mother smiled proudly. "Of course, darling. Now I'll leave you two alone."

He nodded, "Thank you, Mother."

As soon as the dark-haired woman left the room, Serena frowned disdainfully at the closed door. "Well isn't she charming?" she said dryly.

Rolling his eyes to the ceiling, Darien fell back onto the pillows and blew out a frustrated breath. "What now?" he asked tiredly.

"Are all of your relatives this hostile or am I just lucky?"

Frowning, his gaze moved to her and he smiled coldly. "That was a particularly good reception. You're lucky they didn't kill you."

"How sweet," she muttered sarcastically and the room fell into a tense silence. Glancing over at him, she somehow realized that it looked like he wasn't wearing anything. At the sight of his arrogant smirk, she found herself caught staring, and she narrowed her eyes angrily, vainly attempting to ignore his muscular frame. "Now can you please put some clothes on?"

"What, you don't like me like this? Do I not please you, princess?" He moved closer to her and pouted, staring up at her with innocent cerulean eyes.

She blushed at his proximity. "N-no, it's not that, I just..."

"Normally I would've had us sleep separately but I just couldn't resist the feel of your skin against my own." To prove his point, he ran a finger along her bare arm and watched raptly as a pink flush rose in her skin. "Like the finest silk," he whispered in her ear and she shuddered.

He moved over her, pinning her to the silk-covered mattress. "Imagine what it'll be like, Serena..." he whispered seductively, brushing his lips over hers. His raven hair fell in his eyes as he smiled at her. "Can you imagine what it will feel like? I've waited a long time to have you... did you wait for me?"

Serena's mind was completely lost as she stared up at him, intimately pressed into the bed. "Yes," she breathed as his head dipped down to hers once again.

Pleased with the response, he gave a lopsided smile just before his lips took hers in a light kiss. They moved in a slow sensuous caress and in a few moments, his kisses became more demanding. He pressed her further into the bed, a hand cradling the back of her head and tangling itself in her blonde curls as he deepened the kiss. She responded in kind, a small hand snaking behind his neck to bring them closer together.

Darien groaned as her mouth opened under his insistent pressure and his tongue slipped in to taste her, plundering her mouth with long, probing kisses. Hesitantly she responded, gripping his soft black hair as he drew her even closer.

Serena could hear nothing above the pounding of her heart as she lay beneath the dark-haired man. Her brain had somehow turned to mush as soon as he kissed her and she found herself falling into an abyss that she knew she would never get out of. His free hand wandered up to her breast and she gasped into his mouth. A rough squeeze broke her thoughts as she continued to let him fondle her, pleasure coursing through her veins at the touch. Before she knew it, the long black nightgown was lifted over her head and she lay in her white lace undergarments. Had it been anyone else, she would have slapped the man and pushed him away, but he... he was different. She didn't have time to be embarrassed for as soon as the new skin was bared, his lips trailed a path downward and she gasped at the dizzying sensation. Suddenly, she felt Darien tense above her and she immediately became alert to her surroundings.

Laughter. Serena's eyes flew open at the sound and her body protested as Darien extricated himself from her. She heard Darien curse fluently and sat up to find a dark-haired man standing at the foot of the bed with an amused look on his handsome features. Rushing to cover her barely-clothed figure, she yanked the silk covers up over her chest. Absently, she noticed that he looked very much like the man she'd become rather well acquainted with, but in her amorous stupor, she failed to recognize the relationship.

"Oh shit," Darien cursed as familiar laughter rang in his ears. Not when he was so close! He directed a murderous gaze at the intruder, but the man paid it no mind.

"Wed her before you bed her, Darien. You know the rules." The deep voice rang out amusedly and the owner merely shook his head.

Running a hand through his tousled hair in frustration, Darien's eyes narrowed on the older man. "Damn it, Father. You pick the most inopportune moments!"

Damien smirked as he glanced at their disheveled appearances, "Actually I think it was quite opportune. A few more minutes and it would have been a shotgun wedding."

Serena blushed at this. The man was Darien's father? Did he think her depraved? She brought a hand to cover her face in embarrassment and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. This made the list as one of the most mortifying moments of her life. Sitting in her bra and underwear with her half-naked fiancé was not the way she wanted to meet her future father-in-law.

Sensing Serena's embarrassment, Darien reached for a black robe and handed it to her. She gratefully took it, quickly throwing on the silk garment and tightly tying it around her middle. When his father simply looked at her amusedly, she felt her already flushed face get even redder.

His form disappeared from the spot at the foot of the bed and she flinched as he reappeared on her side. "Pay me no mind, child. You have no reason to fear me... and I think that you are the only Day Walker to ever hear those words. I am the Lord of the Undead and you, child, are the miracle we've been waiting for."

Damien lifted her limp hand from the bed and kissed the back of it, embarrassing Serena even more. Glancing over at Darien, she noticed the annoyed glare fixed on his father. "Um... I'm Serena, but you probably already know that," she said sheepishly, playing with the black sash about her waist nervously.

He nodded and his icy gaze shifted to his agitated son. "Plans have been set in motion that cannot be stopped. On the night of the full moon, the great covenant will be fulfilled. Blood will be spilled on that night... vampires will take back the dawn... Darien, you must prepare for what is to come. Our fate hangs in the balance. So many laws you've already broken... taking your betrothed to bed before the ceremony? You make me wonder if you're fit to rule the Undead."

"I am ready, Father," the words were dark and bitter as he glared at the older man, venom in his cerulean eyes. Inside, Darien was seething. His father was treating him like a child, rebuking him in front of his woman! It was disgraceful and downright humiliating and as soon as he was king, his father's control would come to an end.

A chilling smile crept onto the mysterious man's face. "Hmm... but is she?" With that, his deep, menacing laughter filled the room and he vanished from their sight.

"Damn him!" Darien spat as soon he knew his father was gone. His hands gripping the comforter beneath him, Serena could easily see that he was barely controlling his rage. His breathing erratic and deep, he closed his eyes in an attempt to suppress the murderous feeling within him.

"What... what did he mean by that?" she asked hesitantly, and her softly spoken words immediately cooled the white-hot anger that threatened to erupt inside of him.

He turned to her to find a look of bewilderment and fear in her eyes, and at the moment, he could have killed the one who caused such emotions within her. "He meant to scare you... to anger me. Everything to him is a test... he was testing me at your expense." He paused then, taking her hand and giving it a soft squeeze. "It will not happen again." The words were slow and perfectly enunciated and Serena was sure simply by the tone that no such event would happen again.

"It's okay," she said quietly and glanced down at the larger hand that covered hers. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of an ugly red scar that stretched across the inside of his wrist. She grabbed the injured hand in alarm, bringing it closer in inspection. "Oh my, that scar... What happened? Nobody could have lived through something like that." What was worse was that the wound looked fresh.

He merely shook his head as he ignored the injury. "I am the exception to the rule."

"Does... does it hurt?"

Smirking, he removed the injured hand from her grasp. "Not anymore."

Serena wasn't about to let it go... not when someone lived through an injury that severe. Tracing the long, jagged scar with a gentle finger, she gazed up at him speculatively. "How did you get it?" She had a sneaking suspicion that she was somehow involved.

"Looking for you." The words were uttered simply and coldly, not placing the blame on her but not denying it either.

Her eyes fell to the floor in guilt. "I... I'm sorry." After a moment, though, she brightened. "Wait! Maybe I can help."

"I doubt it."

"No, here... Give me your hand." Closing her eyes and concentrating, she pressed her palm into the scar. A pulsing silver light came from her hand and he gasped. He felt a strange warmth for a moment until the light dissipated. Glancing down at his wrist, he was surprised to find that there was no longer a white, ugly scar... just the normal smooth skin now.

He looked down at her in awe. "How did you do that? I... not even our best healers can regenerate healthy tissue like this! You..."

She shrugged off the praise with a smile. "I've always been able to heal people. Small wounds on myself, but if I try I can heal major wounds on others. I used to do it naturally when I was really little, but then..." her features grew sad, "people made me stop."

Her cryptic comment piqued his attention. "Your parents?".

She avoided his inquisitive azure gaze. "No... my aunt," she supplied hesitantly.

Suddenly, his harmless expression turned menacing, his voice accusing. "So when are they coming out of hiding?"

Her blonde head snapped up in confusion. "Who?"

"Your parents."

Cornflower blue eyes once filled with bewilderment now exhibited disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

He shook his head, a dangerous smile on his lips. "No. When will they arrive?"

A tiny incredulous laugh escaped before she answered his ridiculous question. "Um... Never."

"What? They are required to be there for the ceremony!" he bellowed, rising off of the bed in indignation.

Her eyes narrowed at his unwarranted anger. "Well, unless you can resurrect the dead, that's not going to happen," she muttered sarcastically.

The angry expression on his face died instantly at her words. "They're... dead?"

She rolled her eyes and let out a huff. "Did you miss the whole adopted thing?"

"But they would have done that for your protection."

"They've been dead a long time... almost twenty years now."

Darien shook his head in disbelief. "How did we not know?"

Serena rose from the bed and began pacing the large room. "They were killed in an accident when I was a baby," she said absently, staring at the crackling fireplace. After a moment, she added, "A friend of the family raised me."

He approached her then, lightly grasping her arm and searching her eyes for any indication of deception. "And does he know of the treaty?"

"No, she doesn't."

At her words, he retreated in near-guilt, taking a seat on the edge of the bed once again. "So you never knew..." he whispered almost to himself before glancing up at her. "You didn't lie to me... you never would have come to me..."

Staring at his shell-shocked form, she moved to take a seat beside him. "I never knew about any of it."

"And you didn't hunt vampires?"

She laughed at the question. "I didn't even know they existed until your pointy little teeth popped out of your mouth," she finished sardonically.

His eyes filled with remorse at her answer. "I... I don't know what to make of this."

"Neither do I. Hence my confusion and frustration." He remained silent, a contrite look playing on his face. "Speaking of which, I need to go home. My aunt's probably worried sick."

When Serena moved to get off the gigantic bed, she found herself being pulled back down. "Your place is by my side," Darien spoke fiercely, his words a deadly command as he prevented her escape.

She rolled her eyes, his possessiveness beginning to agitate her. "Just let go of me, okay? I seriously need to leave."

When she tried to stand once more, he deftly moved over her and suddenly, she found herself pinned to the mattress, trapped in his crushing grip. "You belong to me. Learn it. Accept it."

Her eyes narrowed into slits of blue fire as her foot connected with his shin and he released her. "I have a life! I have family and friends who are looking for me! You are the last thing I need right now."

At her words, his eyes glowed the frightful crimson she'd grown to fear. "Well you can thank your parents for making me a permanent fixture in your life. You have no say in this... and I suggest you get used to it."

Rational thought kicked in and filtered through Serena's angry thoughts. "What the hell am I supposed to do about... everyone? I'm sure Beryl's already gotten the authorities involved. So unless you want this place swarming with policemen, we need to do damage control."

"Damage control?"

She sighed, aggravated. "I need to tell them I'm all right. At least give me that much."

Rolling his eyes, he glared at her obstinate figure. "Fine. You have twenty-four hours to tie up any loose ends. And if you don't come back, we'll find you... I'll find you."

"You won't have to go looking for me- you're coming with me."

His eyes flew up to hers in astonishment. "What?"

"Aunt Beryl won't let me do anything unless she meets you... she'll be suspicious if you don't come along. She's so overprotective of me... I'm like her daughter."

"And she won't be suspicious of me coming out only at night?"

"Not if we go there for dinner. Come on, I need to get you ready. You can't impress them in that," she gestured at his nakedness.

"Well it impressed you."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up. Now I need to find some normal clothes."

He gazed down at her robe-clad form appreciatively, "And what's wrong with what you're wearing now?"

"You're a perverted ass. I need some wearable clothes... preferably something decent." Following him to the other side of the spacious room, she watched as he pressed a button on the blank wall and it moved away to reveal a... closet? She raised an eyebrow at him, "All that for a closet?"

Shrugging, he began sifting through the clothes in the small room, "Us vampires like things... secure."

She rolled her eyes at his comment and scowled at the dress he held up. Not only was it obscenely revealing but it was completely black. "Ugh... what is it with you and black? Don't you have anything with color?"

Darien looked at her tiredly before pulling out a filmy, prismatic white dress that she assumed would fall just below the knee. "Is this to your liking?" he asked sarcastically, handing her the garment and searching for his own in the tiny room.

Nodding, she ran her hand over the delicate material, "Yes... this just seems so... non-vampiric?"

He made a small noise of agreement as he filtered through the tailor-made suits. "It would seem so... virgin brides are expected to wear white prior to the wedding."

She blushed and brought a hand up to her neck to twirl the necklace as she always did when she was nervous or embarrassed and was shocked to find that it wasn't there. "Oh no... my necklace! Where is it?" she asked frantically, bolting out of the closet, searching the adjacent room but finding the piece nowhere in sight.

Darien poked his head out of the closet, "Why are you worrying so? That necklace means nothing now."

Her eyes filled with righteous anger, she marched over to him. "Of course it does! My parents gave that to me before they died!"

A look of confusion crossed his handsome features. "No... they didn't."

Serena breathed heavily, her eyes beginning to take on an even deeper blue. "You don't know anything about my parents," she ground out harshly.

"My parents gave you that necklace as a sign of protection," he said evenly, his calm voice infuriating her even more. "But now that we're together it's no longer needed."

She sank to the bed in confusion and sadness. "But it was a gift from my parents... it had to be... it was all I had of them..."

"Well it obviously wasn't. We're wasting time... we need to dress." The absence of emotion in his voice simply poured salt on the already growing wound in her heart.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she backed away further onto the bed. "Leave me alone," she whispered quietly, shaking slightly as thoughts of her parents ran through her head.

Her inner misery was apparently lost on Darien. "We are running late as it is... now get ready," he commanded, pulling on the suit he'd taken from the closet.

She sat there, frozen as a tear slid down her cheek... then another... and another. Crying silently, she was grateful for the darkness that hid her relentless tears. When she felt Darien's expectant eyes on her she glared back, "Go away."

All at once he appeared on the bed, looming over her in anger and confusion. "It was you who wanted to go so badly... now get dressed or I will do it for you."

His cold words caused the dam on her emotions to overflow, her sobs becoming louder as she stared at him accusingly. "Can't you see I'm upset? I have nothing to remember my parents... but you're too damned inhuman to understand actual emotions!" she screamed, pushing him off her in one swift motion.

An expression of hurt briefly flashed on his face before the familiar anger took over. "How dare you... I felt things you could never feel!" he barked, but she stood her ground. Even angrier, he advanced on her, his voice low and threatening, "Perhaps I don't pity you because only the important things in life stir my emotions... nothing so trivial as a piece of jewelry."

At his scathing tone, her eyes began to glow a shimmering blue that caused his smirk to falter. Absently, she noticed a silver-white glow in the room but her main focus was on the man who insulted her. "That piece of jewelry was a supposed token of my parents' affection... something I never got to feel. So until you lose something close to you, I suggest you shut the fuck up about important things." With that, she stalked off into another room, taking the dress with her.

In her rage, she never realized how the garment had simply appeared in her hands or how her betrothed fell to the floor in pain as the silver light burnt into his skin.

* * *

Serena exited the adjoining room looking completely refreshed and unruffled. She glanced over to the other end of the room where four scantily clad vampire girls fawned over her fiancé, playing with his hair and pressing damp cloths to his forehead. Rolling her eyes, she made her way over to the five, ignoring the hisses from his groupies as she looked at him tiredly. "Are you quite done with your... harem?"

He looked up at her and she was shocked to find the cloths that had been applied to his face were covered with blood. A deep laceration in his cheek seemed to be healing before her eyes and she wondered in amazement if she'd caused his injuries. "You still want to go?" he asked hesitantly, brushing off the vampires' ministrations.

"Did... did I do that?" she motioned to the wound on his face. Before he could reply, one of the brunettes attending to him lashed out at her. "Of course you did, day walker! You will be the death of us all! Trying to kill poor Prince Darien..." to prove her point, she took a seat in his lap, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Controlling her rage, Serena merely put a hand to the wound, healing it immediately. "Say goodbye to your fan club. I don't want to arrive at my aunt's house too late." Without waiting for a reply, she dragged him out of the seat and out the door, causing the brunette to fall to the ground, hissing at the fuming blonde.

* * *

Serena ignored the hateful glares and unremitting whispers in the darkness as she made her way up to the ground level of the keep. Darien led the way, his face exhibiting a mix of guilt and anger. After his outburst, she didn't care how he felt... she'd resigned herself to the fact that marrying him was inevitable, but not to the idea of being his wife in more than name only. As they reached the garage on the grounds, she stalked behind him slowly, her blood boiling. Wordlessly, she climbed into the front passenger's seat of the sleek black BMW, crossing her arms over her chest and making it blatantly clear she didn't want to be anywhere near him. He sensed her anger as she stiffly sat in the adjacent seat, and as he started up the car, he hesitantly glanced at her.

"You need to learn to control your attacks," he said offhandedly, as they sped down a barely visible path.

Her blonde head whipped around to face him at the comment. "Excuse me?"

"You can't have an episode like you did back there every time you get mad," he said simply, head turning to face the road once again. After a moment of tense silence, he added, "My people will have a hard enough time trusting you as it is."

She bit her lip in an attempt to keep from screaming at him, but as soon as she caught sight of his cool façade, her control crumbled. "I don't give a shit what 'your people' think of me! If you haven't noticed, I wouldn't even marry you if I wasn't forced to!" she screamed, the sound filling the small car.

Serena wondered if she'd gone too far as his hands gripped the hell out of the steering wheel and his jaw tightened in repressed rage. His tone was cold and dangerous as his glinting eyes remained on the road, "Well you aren't exactly what I want in a queen, but I have no choice in this either."

The remainder of the ride was silent with the exception of Serena's coldly muttered directions ever so often. Both regretted the harsh words but neither had the pride to take them back. And when they finally arrived at the gothic mansion, Serena exited the car and shut the door with a slam that made Darien flinch.

Before she could take another step, Darien pulled her back by the arm. "I'm sorry," he murmured quietly, his dark eyes searching hers as he attempted to read her emotions.

She stared at him blankly. A simple sorry was supposed to make it okay? On top of everything, she knew he was trying to read her mind. "Apology not accepted," she shot back coldly, wrenching her arm away from his grasp and walking up the gravel driveway.

He followed, and she could tell he was seething inside. When they reached the door, he turned to her stiffly. After she rang the doorbell she stared straight ahead, continuing to ignore him. "You're ignoring me," he commented agitatedly.

Her eyes rolled towards the sky as she blew out an aggravated breath. "Get used to it."

"I do not like to be ignored."

She glanced at him tiredly. "It's a fact of life."

"Not mine." The words were spoken slowly and angrily and Serena held no doubt that he'd never been ignored in his entire life.

"Listen, I'm guessing that somewhere along the line someone told you that you were special," Serena spoke venomously, "Well, guess what? You're not."

His jaw tightened. "How dare you...I am your mate and you will obey my commands." The volume grew with every word until he was shouting.

Perhaps Serena was simply in a rebellious mood, or maybe she was just tired of his superiority complex, but this was not the night to boss her around. "Up yours."

She noticed the deep crimson growing in his irises and she distinctly got the feeling she'd gone too far. His enraged form hovered over hers, anger radiating off of him in waves. "I will not tolerate this insolence much longer." No longer was he shouting but speaking in a low, dangerous tone.

Just as she was about to reply, the front door opened and out flew a crazed mass of red. Serena could barely breathe as her aunt latched onto her, nearly cutting off her air supply. "My God, Serena," Beryl wailed, "Where have you been? We kept calling your dormitory... nobody knew where you were! I was worried sick!"

Guilt washed over Serena as her aunt pulled away, still frantic. "I'm sorry, Aunt Beryl, I, well, um..." She glanced over to Darien who stood off to the side, completely out of the loop. "This is... um... I'd like you to meet my... uh..." she stammered, unable to find words to describe the enigma that forced his way into her life.

Darien grinned charmingly at the confused redhead, flashing pearly-white teeth. "Fiancé. I'm Darien."

Beryl's emerald eyes grew wide in alarm as she looked from the stranger to Serena. "Serena, you're... engaged?" she croaked in disbelief.

Serena smiled nervously as Darien took her hand and squeezed it affectionately. "Well, yes. I know it's sudden, but..." she trailed off, unable to continue.

"Serena." Another voice entered the conversation and Serena froze. Diamond. How could she have forgotten Diamond? She'd been so caught up in Darien that she'd completely cast aside his feelings.

"Diamond... hi..." she spoke awkwardly to him and felt Darien's hand slip around her waist in an obvious show of possession.

The white-haired man looked from the short blonde to the ominous man and his jaw tightened. "Who..."

Darien smirked. "I'm her fiancé. And you are?"

Diamond glared back, a challenge in his eyes. "A friend." He turned to Serena, confusion apparent in his hard features. "You're getting married?" he questioned, amethyst eyes full of hurt.

She looked down at her feet in shame, unable to make eye contact with the man she'd inadvertently hurt. "Yes."

Darien took over then, planting a kiss soundly on her lips. "We met just the other day but it felt... right," he said enthusiastically, adding, "We'll be married soon."

Diamond took in a shaky breath. "Is that right?"

He and Beryl exchanged alarmed glances that were not lost on Serena. She could immediately tell how displeased they were. After a moment, Beryl snapped out of her stupor and put a hand on Serena's arm, guiding her away from Darien. "Come in, darling, we were just about to have dinner." She then glanced behind them, glaring coldly at Darien. "I suppose you should come too."

* * *

Serena pushed the chicken on her plate back and forth, not having the courage to look at the man she'd obviously hurt or the aunt she'd disappointed. Darien sat next to her, calm and collected, making casual conversation ever so often. As the meal progressed, everyone became quieter, even the oh-so-charming Darien. She could feel Diamond and Beryl glaring at the newcomer hatefully, and she felt torn between them.

After another long stretch of tense silence, she felt Darien shift in his seat and his finger beneath her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. To her surprise, he stared down at her concernedly, eyes full of a foreign emotion. "You haven't touched your dinner, darling. Are you all right?" he asked gently, his fingers lightly caressing her face.

Her skin tingled from his touch and she struggled to find a coherent thought. "I... I'm fine," she murmured, and a cough in the background broke her out of her reverie.

"So, Darien," Beryl began harshly, "How do you plan to provide for Serena?"

"Well, actually I work in...hematology," he said wryly, smirking at the irony.

Beryl's eyes narrowed in familiar disapproval. "Oh... I've always discouraged Serena from the profession... such a horrible study... Is that how you met?"

He smiled charmingly, but the effort was lost on the skeptical redhead. "We actually met at a... mutual friend's party. It was as if I'd been searching for her my entire life." His dark blue, mirth-filled eyes shifted to her own and she blushed, but she couldn't tell whether it was from the private joke or from the way he'd been looking at her the entire evening.

"Hmph. If you ask me, you're living a pipe dream," Beryl interjected sharply, "Why, I knew my husband for years before we wed... I actually grew up with him." She looked from Serena to Diamond with a not-so-subtle hint and Serena wanted to die.

At that moment, Serena realized for the first time that Diamond hadn't spoken a word during dinner. Reluctantly glancing up at him, she found him staring at her with the saddest expression in his violet eyes. After a moment of staring at each other, Diamond put down his fork and scrutinized her, "You're not wearing your necklace, Serena."

Biting her bottom lip, she searched her mind for a viable excuse. "I... uh... I lost it," she said quietly, playing with the napkin on her lap.

"That's a shame... but I guess you can wear my present now... It's up in my room, if you still want it."

"Um... sure," she answered, pasting a conciliatory smile on her face.

When he rose from the table and motioned for her to follow, she looked at Darien questioningly. "I'll just be a minute, okay?" she reassured before Diamond grabbed her hand and led her away, leaving the red haired scientist and the easily agitated vampire alone.

* * *

Serena climbed the winding steps to his room and felt uncomfortable as his thumb traced small circles in the palm of her hand that he held. As soon as they reached his room, she removed her hand from his grip as discretely as possible, fiddling with her hair in nervousness.

He entered the massive room with long, confident strides, walking over to an ebony dresser and pulling out the familiar black velvet box. Opening the case, he pulled out an even more expensive necklace than before; an intricately woven platinum chain dripping with diamonds winked back at her in the dim lighting. Her breath caught as she stared at it; not only had he bought her another gift but one that cost a fortune.

Smiling warmly at her expression, he fastened the chain around her neck. "I knew you'd grow out of that necklace eventually... and you deserved something nicer."

She hated his kindness! She really did... and the chain felt so heavy around her neck... "Diamond, it's really too much."

His stony features darkened then, "You deserve better."

It was out in the open. He didn't approve. And she really never expected him to... but she also never expected him to say it. "Diamond..." she began, guilt-ridden.

"You didn't even consider my offer... you just ran off with the first guy you met!" he accused.

She shook her head furiously to dispel the horrid idea. "No! I would never do that! Darien-"

"Is a total stranger!" he interrupted, pacing back and forth on the ornate carpet. "How long have you known him?"

"Two days," she whispered meekly, and shut her eyes as if to protect her from what she knew was coming.

"Two fucking days!" His words were bitter and brought tears to her eyes. "You've known me your whole life! Am I not good enough?" The last statement was quiet and suddenly he had an air of fragility about him, a weakness she'd never seen in him before.

She stared at him mournfully, cloudy blue eyes peering into his soul. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she repeated over and over, her throat suddenly dry.

He laughed at her apology and her eyes stung with unshed tears. "Sorry? I waited my whole life for you and you're sorry?" His white hair fell in his eyes as he shook his head at her. After another moment of silence, he glanced at her burdened figure. "Do you love him?"

Did she love him? It was too soon... far too soon to be considering such a foreign emotion with a man she'd known for two days. But to convince the man before her, she would be forced to lie... to fabricate the thing she'd wanted more than anything to be true. But before she could embellish the farce further, she froze as the sound of breaking glass and multiple explosions came from downstairs. Only one thought filtered through her frantic mind as she rushed to the staircase at lightning speed: 'I should never have left them alone...'

END CHAPTER THREE

AN: Yeah, who's done with Chapter Three? Woot woot :D Oh, I had fun with this one. I noticed that people were slightly angry (dodges rocks, knives, and flying shoes) with the long time that it took to update. Well, I'm sorry and to be honest, I can't guarantee that it won't happen again. My life is CRAZY right now and I'm writing whenever possible. But I do apologize for delays... they are unintentional, I assure you. So please leave a review and let me know what you think of this one... feedback helps! And, as always, thanks to my endlessly patient Beta-reader... I would have e-strangled me a long time ago. Thanks everybody! Later.


	5. Four

Bloodlust

By Usabelle

AN: Hello and welcome to the author's note for Chapter Four. The first item on the agenda makes me so mad... if you haven't heard already, Queen of Violet on FFN plagiarized this fic and called it Scarlet Destiny. Thankfully, it was removed. Let me just say: I HATE PLAGIARISM! Okay, number two: I've set up a writing journal at If you want to know about updates or how the story is coming along, please go there as I won't update the bio section of FFN anymore. Thirdly, actually... I have no three, so enjoy Chapter Four! And please don't flame... I'm not mature like other writers and I'll flame right back. So now you're warned. ;) Enjoy!

Disclaimer(I guess this wasn't clear enough before): I don't own Sailor Moon, but I do own this story. Yeah, that's right, only I can claim ownership to this fic. Bloodlust is MIIIIIIINE. Got it? Good. :)

Chapter Four

Plumes of reddish-black smoke rose to the second level of the mansion as Serena stumbled to navigate the barely-visible winding staircase. The air was thick and she found it difficult to breathe, but the urgency of the situation drove her on. She felt Diamond close on her tail, and made a concerted effort to outrun him, seeing that he'd only try to censor what happened. As soon as her hand felt the wooden knob that indicated the end of the staircase, she began screaming for them.

"Darien? Aunt Beryl? Where are you?" she shouted frantically, staying close to a wall as she entered the dining room. Nothing could be seen through the red smoke and it worried Serena. Normal smoke was black... but smoke from a spell definitely wasn't. When she didn't hear any response, the fear gnawing at her worsened. "Darien? Aunt Beryl? Are you all right? Can you hear me?"

She nearly tripped over some debris on the floor and bent down to see what it was. Upon further inspection, she realized that it wasn't a piece of broken furniture but her fiancé... her unconscious fiancé. Dropping to the floor completely, she put her head to his chest and found a faint heartbeat. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew Beryl still needed to be found, but at the sight of him, everything within her screamed to help him.

As the smoke began to dissipate, she got a clearer view of Darien. Checking his head for wounds, her brow furrowed as she realized there were no obvious lacerations from any type of explosion. In fact, his entire body seemed impervious to the explosions she knew she heard. Suddenly, her worried eyes fell on his arm where the sleeve of his shirt was torn. A multi-spiked silver shuriken was embedded in his shoulder, dripping crimson blood onto her dress. But the stain didn't worry her; it was the growing purplish area surrounding the wound that did. She noticed that his veins stood out among the pale white flesh, and the realization of his injury struck her; he was having an anaphylactic reaction to the silver in the shuriken.

Immediately, she leaned in close to the bloodied weapon, inspecting the foreign object. She noticed several shattered capsules on the surface of the shuriken, dripping with a thick metallic liquid. "Liquid silver," she whispered in shock, and without a second thought, she ripped the poisonous weapon from his arm.

The action brought Darien back into consciousness with a start. He screamed in pain and his eyes flew open, his irises an alarmed red and full of agony. His breathing was highly labored and he looked up at her helplessly. "S-Ser..." he tried to get out, but faltered as his eyes began to flutter closed.

"No! Darien, stay with me. Please!" she said frantically, blotting at the growing wound and applying pressure, though she knew the silver was already in his bloodstream. She felt another presence behind her and ignored it, as Darien was her first priority. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and began to try and heal the wound, pulsating silver light flowing from her fingertips to the affected area. After a minute of healing, she had to stop, as the process took much of her own energy, and noticed that he had fallen into unconsciousness once again. "Oh God, Darien, you can't do this!" Tears clouded her vision as she once again tried healing him.

"It's a waste of time," a stern voice said behind her darkly.

She paused for a moment to look up at the intruder. "Diamond, unless you plan to help, go away!" she commanded harshly, her attention shifting back to Darien. She returned to healing the wound, transferring more energy until the effort made her dizzy.

Diamond reeled back in shock at the terseness in her voice but his response was lost on Serena. When he noticed her figure beginning to sway, he realized that she was going to expend too much energy trying to heal the worthless idiot. He grasped her from behind, roughly pulling her away from the unconscious man. "You'll kill yourself if you continue," he reprimanded as she struggled in his grasp.

Tears poured down Serena's face as she stared at Darien's unmoving form. "No..." she whispered, and then turned to the man who held her back. "What is the antidote? I know you know how to fix it."

His amethyst eyes narrowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me!" she cried, ripping herself from his hold. "You know he's a vampire... tell me how to cure the silver allergy." she demanded.

His stony features glared at the unconscious man. "He deserves to burn in Hell... and I'll see that he does," he spat hatefully, stringy white hair hanging in his eyes.

Just before Serena was going to let him have it, another figure came into view at the far end of the room: Beryl. The horrifically torn and mangled skin at her neck, an obvious sign of struggle, told Serena that she'd been an active participant in the confrontation. "Aunt Beryl, what did you do?" Serena demanded harshly, glaring at the unfazed woman.

The red-haired woman laughed and Serena cringed at the sound. "I exposed him for what he truly is... a vampire. The boy was too different... too striking... with a little interrogation I realized his heritage and put an end to it."

Serena gasped in horror at the woman she'd considered her mother for so many years. "My God, Aunt Beryl... he was unarmed!" She felt the tears coming again and cursed her weakness. "How could you?"

Beryl's emerald eyes rolled to the ceiling in annoyance. "Oh, for goodness sakes, Serena. He is evil! I was doing you a favor. Now come away from this mess and we'll get you cleaned up... you're covered in blood," she said distastefully, grasping Serena's upper arm.

As soon as the words left Beryl's mouth, Serena wrenched away from her grasp. "No! I don't want to go with you! I'm getting him a doctor!" she said forcefully, kneeling down to Darien's still form.

"What the fuck is going on?" Another voice drifted down the hall and Serena whipped around to face the intruder. "I came from Prisma's for dinner and I find-" A dark-haired man walked in the dining room, voice trailing off at the sight before him.

"Sapphire!" Serena cried out in relief, not leaving her position at Darien's side but looking at him pleadingly. "You have to... he can't..." her words were incoherent in her frenzy.

He turned cold eyes on his mother and the newly noticed Diamond. "What have you done?" he spat darkly, staring at them in disgust.

"We exterminated a problem," Diamond bit back, towering over his brother threateningly. Serena stared at them disbelievingly, numb as she watched the man she'd once considered kind and gentle turn into an absolutely despicable person.

Instead of becoming intimidated, Sapphire walked away from Diamond and approached Serena's shaken form. "What did they use?" he asked calmly, looking down at an unconscious Darien.

"Silver... some liquid kind too," she whispered, fingering the growing wound with gentle hands.

At her touch, Darien shot up in pain, eyes opening and staring blankly at the contemplative man standing above him for a moment before drifting off again. "Silver nitrate," Sapphire said suddenly, turning around and shaking his head at his enraged relatives disgustedly. He turned back to Serena, this time with a certain urgency on his face. "He'll be dead soon, Serena. You need to get him back to the keep... I'm no doctor and you know I'm a terrible spell caster. I can't help him but maybe they can."

Her eyes widened at his mention of the vampire palace. "You know?" she asked quietly.

"You forget I'm a warlock, too, Serena," he said with a slight smile, before leaning down and whispering in her ear, "Use your telekinesis... freeze them so I can get him out."

The thought of using her gifts against her family seemed impossible... too cruel. Instead of doing as she was told, she headed toward the exit but was roughly pushed back by Diamond.  
Diamond and Beryl stood in the doorway threateningly, blocking any attempt at leaving. "I forbid you to leave this house," Beryl spat, glaring past Serena to the unconscious vampire hatefully.

Serena felt betrayed on the inside, but her expression remained unfazed. "Get out of my way," she ground out slowly, and before she knew what she was doing, her mind concentrated on the movement of the two and telekinetically froze them in place. Their cries of anger went unheard in the midst of her deep concentration as Sapphire dragged Darien out the door. Slowly, she backed away from Beryl and Diamond, holding their position as she moved away. After a few minutes, she heard a car engine start. As soon as her concentration shifted from her family to Darien, however, the telekinesis faded away and she felt Beryl and Diamond give chase.

She arrived at the car and found Sapphire waiting for her. Unceremoniously, he pushed her in the driver's seat. "Take him to the keep... they might be able to save him yet."

In the periphery, she saw Beryl and Diamond sprint out the front door of the gothic mansion. "Thank you, Sapphire."

He smiled at her kindly, shutting the door of the car. "I love you, little sister. Be safe."

"I love you too, Sapph," she whispered just before she sped off into the night, leaving her brother and two traitors in the dust.

* * *

Darien drifted in and out of consciousness as Serena navigated the unfamiliar wooded area. Ever so often, his moans of agony would shake her concentration and she glanced over to his suffering form, tears clouding her vision. The surrounding area of the wound was getting darker, that much she could discern in the dark surroundings. She drove on, pressing her hand on the wound and releasing healing light whenever possible, ignoring the terrible dizziness it caused.

But he was getting worse. The moans were louder and he writhed in the front seat, eyes squeezed shut and fists balled in an attempt to block the intense pain. She noticed his elongated fangs and realized that he was fighting the poison within him, his weakness forcing him to revert back to his original form. Serena shifted her attention to the surrounding woods and realized that they were close to the underground keep. She sped down the beaten path and pulled over when she recognized the familiar black dais in the forest clearing.

Dragging Darien out of the seat and towards the entrance, Serena nearly passed out from the exertions. Between her energy transfer and the sheer exhaustion from pulling a man weighing far more than her, she was barely grasping consciousness herself. She stumbled to the dais on the ground, waiting for it to slide away as it did before. After a moment of hazy confusion, she realized that Darien had spoken some words in an unfamiliar language.

"Open the door!" she shouted forcefully, tears of frustration falling from her eyes. "Your prince is going to die!" When nothing happened, she screamed once more. "Open the damn door before he dies! He needs help, damnit!"

More tears escaped her azure eyes as the stone remained in place. She sobbed as she crawled over to the spot where he lay on the ground, staring into his pain-filled eyes.

A rare lucidity came over him, and he looked up at her, searching her tear-streaked face. "Serena," he murmured quietly, and she struggled to hear him.

"Darien," she whispered, pushing ebony strands of hair from his reddened eyes. "Listen to me. How do I open the door?"

He smiled weakly. "They won't open it..." he laughed sardonically, "not for you, at least." A sigh escaped his lips as he stared up at her. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

Her eyes narrowed at his comment and she shook her head furiously as if to dispel the very thought. "No you won't. I promise you."

At her words, his eyes fluttered closed as he fell into unconsciousness once more. His head drooped and Serena knew he was near death. Tears fell from her eyes unheeded as she stared at his dwindling form in denial. Suddenly, an unmitigated anger filled her and she forcefully pressed her palms to the bloody wound. She faintly noticed the silvery glow of light around them but ignored it as she concentrated on her fiancé. Before she knew what she was doing, she began muttering words in a language she'd never heard but somehow understood.

And this time, instead of the calming, pulsating light that her hands normally emitted from healing people, blasts of blinding light shot from her hands into the wound, slowly transforming the blackened area to the familiar alabaster of his normal skin tone. She was purging the sickness within him, and gradually, he regained consciousness.

He stared up at her now, radiant blue eyes looking upon her in wonder as the glow dissipated. Eventually, the healing stopped completely, and she looked back at him through glazed, hooded eyes, feeling slightly inebriated and unbelievably tired. As soon as the strength returned to his limbs, he sat up, taking her in his arms as she fell against him, entirely limp. He smiled at her sleepy form and stroked her pale cheek with his thumb. "Serena, I-"

A tiny grin graced her exhausted face before she fell into a much-needed slumber. "You're welcome."

* * *

Serena's vision shifted from a dreamless sleep to a bleary, poorly lit room. Slowly, her eyes sharpened and she realized that she was surrounded by at least a dozen black robed, red and golden-eyed people staring at her diligently, their faces barely visible through the hooded cloaks. She sat up, startled by the intrusion and backed up against the soft white pillows behind her. "Where am I? Who are you?" she asked urgently, searching for Darien's familiar form in the barren room, but to no avail.

A man with piercing gold eyes situated in the middle of the group turned to his brethren and mumbled in a language Serena did not recognize. They all nodded in acquiescence, responding in the same unfamiliar language. After a moment, they all disappeared from the room, as if they were never there.

She blew out a frustrated breath and stared at the empty space. "Probably more relatives," she said dryly, her gaze shifting to her surroundings. This room wasn't nearly as richly decorated as the ones she'd been in earlier; a few mahogany cabinets littered the periphery of the room and some unfamiliar machinery was located on either sides of the bed, but other than that, the room was bare.

Pushing back the white cotton comforter, she slipped out of the bed and padded across the cold marble floor to a cabinet. She opened it only to find vials of strange liquids and several bottles of pills, leading her to believe that she was in a hospital of sorts. Before she could remove any of the containers, the door opened suddenly and hit the wall with a bang as her ruffled fiancé barged into the room.

Darien stalked over to her in an untucked, half-buttoned white shirt and black pants, the faint traces of sleep still apparent on his face. "I'm sorry... I was in hibernation... I would've come sooner... I-"

Serena stopped him then, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him close to her, grateful to see him healthy once more. "It's okay," she whispered in his ear, soothing his frazzled nerves.

His hands gripped her tightly and he smiled tenderly down at her, placing soft kisses on her lips. "Thank you," he murmured between kisses, gratitude apparent in his voice. When she returned his light kiss, he cupped her face with his large hands, pulling away and pausing to look at her. "You... you saved me. They said... I would've died. That if you hadn't... the silver would've killed me."

She gazed up at him searchingly. "What happened, Darien? When I came downstairs... they... why did she do it?"

He sighed, taking her hand and leading her to the bed where they both sat. Leaning against the array of cushiony pillows, he enveloped her in his arms as he recounted the experience. "I knew she didn't like me. That much was obvious when she kept glaring daggers at me during dinner," he smirked but the sardonic expression faded as he continued, "As soon as you left the table, though, her mood shifted from bad to worse..."

FLASHBACK

Darien's dark eyes followed Serena as she exited the room with the white haired man. He felt a stare burning into him and his gaze shifted to meet Beryl's scrutinizing eyes. It seemed as though she were watching his every movement and it made him wary of her. "Was there something you needed, Miss Stratovsky?"

Her emerald eyes narrowed further. "It's Mrs. Stratovsky," she corrected, her voice full of hatred.

He raised a perfect eyebrow at her comment. "You're married?"

"Rubeus died several years ago. I chose to keep his name."

Nodding, he looked at her apologetically, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Beryl gazed back at him disbelievingly. "Yes, well I actually loved him," she said condescendingly. "I knew everything about him before we married. What about you? You know nothing about Serena and we certainly know nothing about you."

He gave an amused smile at her sudden anger. "Well what would you like to know? I've nothing to hide," he smirked.

She stabbed the chicken on her plate forcefully before looking up and giving him a thin smile. "Where did you grow up?"

"Not far from here, actually. I lived with my parents and my younger sister."

Her eyes grew wide at the comment. "Really. What are their names?"

"Damien and Lily... and my sister's name is Raye."

"And their professions?" she asked urgently, making Darien more suspicious than before.

"They're... involved in politics," he said dryly.

She nodded, frizzy red hair falling into her face at the action. "You look familiar... what do your parents look like?"

He shrugged, looking at her oddly. "Like me, I guess. Dark hair, blue eyes."

"Do you have a picture?"

"Uh...no."

"Any allergies to speak of?"

He started. Why would she ask something like that? She stared at him strangely... she knew something. He swallowed, "Not to my knowledge."

She smiled cruelly then, eyes narrowing hatefully. "Not even an allergy to silver?"

Returning the same look, he glared at her and prepared himself for any type of attack. "What are you talking about?"

Smirking, she got up from the table and in a puff of reddish smoke; she disappeared with the words, "Don't play dumb with me, little prince."

He sprung out of his seat, fangs elongating and eyes glowing a hateful red as he recognized her for what she truly was. The trademark red smoke gave her identity away. "Show yourself, Beryl!" he said darkly, scanning the room for the witch. When he only heard her ear splitting cackle, he shook his head. "Queen Beryl of the Supreme Witch Council... for the legendary sorceress, you're quite the coward," he taunted.

Suddenly, she appeared before him, multiple shurikens on hand. She muttered some ancient incantations, and he teleported out of the way as cabinets, chairs, and the large table exploded around him, sending wood fragments flying and filling the room with a thick smoke. Even with his superior visual abilities, he found it difficult to navigate the foggy room, and he teleported once again as she began casting another round of spells.

This time, he barely had enough warning to teleport since debris was flying in all directions. A piece of razor-sharp oak flew by his head, missing him by an inch, and in his dodging, he failed to realize the woman who appeared at his left.

He saw the silver-plated shurikens thrown his way at the last minute and he didn't have time to teleport. They sliced through the air and he twisted to dodge them, but avoiding the last one was impossible. He froze as a blinding pain shot through his shoulder, and he turned to meet the hateful eyes of Beryl. He glanced down at his shoulder to find a spined silver shuriken protruding from his arm, crimson blood spilling everywhere. After the initial impact, however, he felt a million tiny explosions in the wound as capsules on the weapon's surface shattered and liquid silver seeped in.

His jaw tightened at the unbelievable pain but before Beryl could conjure another spell, he gripped her by the throat with his good arm, squeezing with superhuman strength and tearing at the flesh with his nails until it was raw and bleeding. Rapidly, he felt his strength leaving him, and just before she passed out from lack of air, he released her and sank to the ground in agony. From his position on the floor, he saw Beryl standing over him triumphantly. "How did you know?" he asked, strength quickly fading with the onslaught of the silver in his bloodstream.

Her cackle filled the room as her pitiless eyes stared down at him. "You resemble your bastard of a father far too much, little prince. Damien was foolish in sending you out for Serena... and she doesn't want a weakling like you." She sensed his anger at this and reveled in it. "But don't worry, Diamond will take care of her... very good care of her."

The hideous laughter was the last thing he remembered before he blacked out.

END FLASHBACK 

"Why didn't you tell me what she was?" he asked accusingly, eyes sharp and full of reproach.

Guilt washed over her as she stared at him apologetically, "I'm sorry... I was never allowed to tell anyone... and I didn't think it would matter."

"You can't keep things from me anymore. It's not safe," he admonished, but then his features softened and he stroked her face lightly. "You're going to be my wife... I don't want any secrets between us." He gave a sweet, boyish smile and her heart melted.

She returned his smile with a tiny grin of her own. "I understand... but I didn't even know she was a queen..."

His hand dropped at the mention of the witch and his expression grew serious once more. "Your 'aunt' is a renowned spell caster... I'd heard tales of her treachery... and with my education as a child, I finally recognized her for what she truly was. She's a killing machine, Serena."

Somehow, she understood his words and recalled their most recent encounter. "I found you on the floor... and I knew you were near death... and they refused to help me!" she cried, "I actually used my powers against them! Against my own family." Her eyes began to fill with crystalline tears once more. "But I couldn't... I couldn't lose you, Darien." She closed her eyes as she buried her face in his chest and the tears slipped from beneath closed lids.

He simply held her to him, lightly stroking her back and kissing her forehead ever so often as she cried. After a moment, he brought a hand up to her face and tilted her chin up so she could look at him. "You won't ever have to worry about that again," he whispered passionately.

She searched his ocean-colored eyes confusedly, drying her tears with the back of her hand. "What?"

A slow smile crept onto his handsome features. "I'm marrying you tonight," he said resolutely, "We will be bound for eternity."

Extricating herself from his embrace, she stared at him in shock. "Tonight? But your father said we had more time than that!"

Darien's smile suddenly shifted to a deep scowl. "My father doesn't know shit. I am the ruler now and MY word is law!" The volume of his voice grew with every word until he was shouting.

Retreating from his angered form, she shook her head, "We couldn't possibly..."

A chilling smirk replaced the enraged expression. "We can and will." Before she could reply, he began leading her out of the room and down the candlelit hallway until they came to a stop in front of a gilded doorway. "You will stay with my mother until the ceremony. She will help you prepare... but get some rest first." His grin widened as the door opened and she was quickly ushered inside. Before the door closed, he left her with one final thought: "You'll need it for tonight."

* * *

For hours, Serena endured Lily's incessant criticisms and strict instructions. She'd been ordered to bathe thoroughly, scrubbing her face until all traces of a tan were rubbed away, soaking in rose water until the scent of humans disappeared completely. After Lily finally deemed Serena clean, she shoved her in front of a vanity mirror, beginning to work on her makeup and hair.

Now Serena sat in the room alone, scrutinizing her appearance as Lily finished some final preparations for the wedding. After putting on the elbow-length white gloves as instructed, she stared at her reflection wrinkled her nose at Lily's work. She'd chosen a thick black eyeliner, creating a dramatic look Serena felt rather uncomfortable with. Her lips were stained a deep red, and on her neck sat a heavy choker of diamonds that cascaded to a point near her bust line.

Her hair. She'd had quite a fight with Lily over it. Lily wanted to pull it back and twist it into a severe chignon, but Serena refused... she wanted the 'meatball' hairdo. And after twenty minutes of arguing, Lily finally gave in, muttering that there was no hope for the girl.

She could honestly say that the dress was the one thing she was truly pleased with. It was a long, strapless creation of silk that billowed out and fell to the floor in cascades of pure white. Diamonds were sown into the fabric in various places, catching the light when she moved and giving the dress a lovely sparkle under the dim candlelight. There was a corset in the midsection of the dress, embellished with more diamonds and it made her feel like a real princess.

Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit her as Lily entered the room once more in her full regal attire. Dressed in a fine black and gold dress, Lily looked every bit the arrogant queen. "Well," she said icily, "Are you quite done?"

Serena stayed silent at her words, staring at her reflection sadly. Shouldn't this have been a moment spent with her own mother? She'd even wished for Beryl's support over this cold woman she barely knew. Her mother should've been witness to her own daughter's wedding... not some overbearing mother-in-law who hated her.

She could feel Lily's insistent glare on her and finally, she turned to face her, pale blue eyes full of sorrow. "Yes."

* * *

Serena followed Lily down a series of dark corridors and stairwells until she came to a set of elaborately gilded double doors. As soon as they reached the entrance, the doors were opened to reveal a beautiful candlelit temple. The first thing Serena noticed was the high glass ceiling, the starlit night and full moon illuminating the room. After the shock of natural light, Serena took full notice of her surroundings. Hundreds of people stood in the periphery of the room; all dressed in black and red, the unnatural beauty in every one of them astounded her. Their red and gold eyes followed her movements as she trailed Lily who moved slowly down the black marble path to the altar at the far end of the room.

There Darien stood, in an immaculate black tuxedo and red velvet-lined cape. His thick black hair, windswept and perfect, fell in his mesmerizing blue eyes as he took in her white-clad form. Her stomach flipped in anticipation and attraction as she gazed at him, a smile pulling at his full lips as he stared at her.

A very regal-looking Damien stood beside Darien, smiling at her kindly and exposing his fangs as he did so, doing nothing to appease her nervousness. Lily moved from the altar to her husband's side at made a deliberate attempt to shift her husband's attention back to her by sinking her nails into the flesh of Damien's arm. And Raye, glaring daggers all of them in a deep crimson gown, was shoved off to the periphery and stood in shadow, completely forgotten.

Serena's emotions shifted from confusion to pity to nervousness in the span of thirty seconds and it made her extremely uncomfortable. The nervousness, however, melted away as she moved to stand beside Darien at the altar. She inexplicably felt safe in his company, even as a mysterious, cloaked man appeared in front of them. His golden eyes peered at her and she recognized him as one of the vampires by her bedside earlier in the day and she looked up at Darien questioningly.

Darien smiled back at her confidently, as the man began to speak in a foreign tongue. The language seemed dark and forbidding and it made Serena slightly uneasy that everyone around her understood what was going on but her.

Suddenly, a scroll appeared in the man's hand and he unrolled the yellowed paper, holding it up for all to see. Serena squinted at the paper and gasped as she realized that the document had her father's signature at the bottom. It must have been the treaty... She looked up at Darien and he merely nodded.

A thin smile could be seen under the hood as the golden-eyed man turned to Darien. "Prince of the Underworld, do you accept the terms of this sacred trust, binding Serena, Child of Light to you for eternity?"

"Yes," Darien said clearly, without hesitation.

The cloaked man then turned to Serena, "Child of Light, will you comply with the terms of this sacred trust, binding yourself to Prince Darien of the Undead for all eternity?"

It shocked her that the man was actually speaking to her and it took a moment for the words to register in her mind. She supposed that these were her vows and the thought sobered her. "Yes," she said softly, and whispers were heard throughout the hall. She turned to their left to see Lily and Damien speaking quietly to each other, then to Raye who simply stared at the couple condescendingly.

Ignoring their surroundings, Serena turned back to Darien and noticed the triumphant smile on his face as the man began chanting incantations once more. He then instructed Darien in the same vampiric language and directed them to a door at the edge of the room. Darien's grin widened at the statement as he led her into a small room with a single candelabra on the opposite wall. 

As soon as the door was completely closed, Darien pulled Serena to him and onto the only piece of furniture, a red velvet chaise at the edge of the room. She sat in his arms, bewildered by the situation, and Darien leaned down and whispered into her ear. "We're going to forge a blood bond." When she looked up at him confusedly, he planted a light kiss on her neck before saying, "I'm going to bite you."

At his words, she reeled back but found escape impossible as his hands snaked behind her back to pull her close to him. "No, Darien," she whispered forcefully. "I don't want this."

He shook his head and dragged his tongue along her neck. Pausing for a moment, he whispered, "You promised yourself to me for an eternity... and this is how we shall achieve such a feat." At her uneasy silence, he lifted his dark head to look at her. "I'm giving you the gift of immortality, Serena."

She stared back at him, feeling slightly betrayed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Burying his face in her neck once more, he nuzzled the warm flesh. "Because you would've left me," he said softly.

Withdrawing from him, she took a moment to scrutinize his earnest features. His azure eyes were soft and pleading with her, exhibiting an emotion she'd never seen in him before. She shook her head, pushing the hair out of his eyes, "I wouldn't leave you Darien," she said affectionately.

"Do you want to be with me?" he asked, his eyes naked and full of emotion.

A serene smile graced her face as she gazed back at him. "Yes," she whispered honestly, and the simple answer had him grinning widely and hugging her to him tightly, desperately.

After moments of peaceful silence, she felt him nuzzling her neck once more and knew what he wanted. "It... It won't hurt too much," he whispered quietly, brushing his lips against the sensitive skin behind her ear. "Just at the beginning... then it'll feel better... and it won't be long," he reassured her.

"Okay," she whispered and shut her eyes, awaiting the pain she knew was coming. But instead of biting her immediately, he began placing kisses along her neck, searching for the best place to bite. He began licking and kissing a certain spot in the center of her neck and she felt his fangs protrude from his mouth. If she weren't so worried about getting bitten, she would've enjoyed his ministrations. His fangs brushed against her skin in almost a caress and without warning, and then plunged into her neck.

The rush of pain was instant and terrible initially. But as soon as he began suckling on the wound and drinking from her, the pain faded away and an almost euphoric sensation took its place. He moaned as he ran his tongue along the punctured skin, his fingers lightly stroking her waist. Soon enough the experience was far more pleasurable than painful and just as Serena began to relax in his arms, she felt the weakness begin to creep into her system.

Darien was lost in his own world as he drank from her, pleasure coursing through him as he tasted the sweet silver liquid. He knew that his moans were obscenely loud but he didn't care; never had feeding been so satisfying. Suddenly, he began to feel her withdraw from him slightly and knew he'd taken enough. Taking one long, last drink, he lifted his head from her neck and watched raptly as the wound closed.

Serena was in almost a dreamlike state when she felt Darien begin moving about. She blinked, coming out of the euphoria and realized that he was no longer feeding from her but was now biting... his wrist? "Darien, what are you...?"

He smiled at her as he sunk his fangs into his wrist, drawing blood. As soon as the wound began to bleed, he lifted his wrist to her mouth. "Drink," he commanded softly.

Her eyes widened as she saw the wound spilling crimson blood just below her mouth. In any other situation, she would've refused, but for some reason, she complied with his wishes, realizing the necessity of the action. She closed her lips over the wound and tentatively tasted his blood, completely surprised at its appeal. It wasn't nearly as horrible as she'd imagined it to be, so she drank from him until he indicated that she'd taken enough.

Pulling away, she licked her lips and stared up at him, slightly embarrassed. She watched as he pulled a small glass vial from his pocket, breaking off the top of the container and drinking half of the black liquid inside. He then held it up to her lips and she drank without question, completely trusting in him.

The black liquid tasted bitter on her tongue and burnt down her throat as she swallowed it. She sensed the same reaction in him but he hid it better than her, his face rigid while hers was scrunched in displeasure. But as soon as the taste left her mouth, she gasped as she finally recognized the bond between them. All at once she knew his exact location... she could feel his emotions and thoughts... they were completely connected.

They stared at each other for a moment in wonder, getting acclimated to the feeling of being connected. Before she could say a thing, he lunged at her, pressing her to the chaise as he attacked her with a torrent of passionate kisses. She opened to him unquestioningly, his fangs pressing against her lips unheeded as his tongue sought hers, the feeling dizzying and a million times more satisfying than before the bond. Through the connection, she knew what he wanted... what he needed. And doubtlessly, she would give him what he desired.

Her mind was hazy with desire as he continued to kiss her, but the sound of incessant knocking eventually broke through the haziness in her mind. She pulled away from him slightly and became confused at the expression she'd never seen on his beautiful face... his eyes were sparkling as they searched hers. "What is it?" she asked quietly, scared to break the moment.

"You're beautiful," he said simply, a soft smile on his face.

Blushing, she felt his emotions through the bonding and scrutinized his form. "You're hiding something."

Shaking his head, he extricated himself from her, taking her hand and leading her to the door. "That's another topic for another time. Now, we must greet our people."

Before she could question him further, the door opened and he led her out, a strong arm about her waist as they approached the altar once more. Darien stopped in front of the golden-eyed vampire, and the cryptic man smiled at him. From nowhere, a simply wrought golden circlet with a brilliant ruby lodged in the center appeared in the vampire's hands. He handed the circlet to Serena, and after staring at it for a moment, she realized what she was supposed to do. She gently placed the golden piece on his forehead, the ruby covered slightly by his thick raven locks.

As soon as Serena completed her task, a similar circlet appeared in the man's hands once more, but instead on the thick bands of gold, these were thinner and intricately twisted, obviously meant for a woman. The vampire handed the piece to Darien and he mimicked her movements, placing the lighter circlet on her forehead.

The man smiled as he took each of their hands and interlaced them, then moving them to face the crowd. "I give you Lord Darien of the Underworld and Lady Serena of Light... your King and Queen."

Serena's eyes grew wide as every person in the room dropped to their knees, kneeling and showing their respect for their leaders. She looked up at Darien and saw that he was enjoying every minute of it, smirking arrogantly at their subjects. Even Damien and Lily kneeled before them, Damien smiling wryly while Lily looked on uneasily. And in the corner was Raye, cloaked in shadow and staring at them coldly.

And suddenly, the moonlit temple faded from her vision and a short moment of blackness overtook her. She felt Darien's arms around her during the moment of darkness, and the next thing she knew, they were standing in a completely different room. The focal point of the room was a giant canopied four-poster bed, the fabric a deep burgundy velvet. Complete with a vanity, dressers, and several elaborately carved doors, it looked very much like penthouse suites she'd seen only in magazines.

"Where are we?" she asked quietly, her gaze drawn to their lavish surroundings.

He smiled at her. "The royal suite."

Nodding, she slipped off her white stilettos and her sore feet sank into the plush red carpet. "I like it... it's lovely," she sighed softly.

Appearing behind her suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her slight frame. "You're lovely," he whispered sincerely, placing a feather-light kiss on her neck where she'd been bitten. "Did I hurt you, love?" he asked gently, touching the small wound carefully.

She turned in his arms and smiled at him. "No... It was fine."

"The scars won't heal," he said unremorsefully, almost proudly. "I bit you deep... I left my mark on you so everyone will know who you belong to."

Her eyes scrutinized his confident form as she backed out of his embrace. "And what claim do I have to you?" she asked, slightly amused.

His voice dropped to a mere whisper, eyes conveying an emotion she couldn't recognize. "You need no claim... I've given myself to you freely."

"Have you?" she asked skeptically.

A slow smile spread across his face. "Is it not obvious when I look at you... when I touch you?"

Her face reddened at his words. "What?"

He stalked towards her then, a predatory gleam in his eyes. She retreated slowly and stopped when she felt the bed behind her. He pushed her gently, and she fell back without a fight, somewhat intrigued by his expression. Climbing onto the bed, he supported his weight with his arms as his lips swooped down to hers, drowning her questions in a deep kiss.

Without warning, he broke away and nuzzled her neck, "You are everything to me," he whispered fiercely.

Serena's heart melted at the sincerity in his words. Shifting so that she could look him in the eye, she laid a small hand on his cheek, lightly caressing his face. She couldn't find words to express what she felt, so instead of speaking, she pulled his head down to hers, kissing him softly.

The romanticism of the moment faded as the kiss became more heated, innate and carnal instincts taking over. His kissed her with finesse, his tongue dancing slowly with hers as his hand slipped from her hair and began exploring her soft curves. She felt his arousal through the silk of her dress and came to the realization that there would be no interruptions this time... and what shocked her even more was that she didn't want one.

He broke the kiss after a moment and sat up on the bed, reaching for her arm. Slowly, he began peeling off the long white glove, kissing her skin as it became available. He pressed a tender kiss to the back of her hand and repeated his ministrations on the other arm. Once her arms were free of the white material, he tossed the gloves aside and leaned down for another kiss.

She kissed him back languidly, fingers searching out the top button of his shirt. When she found it, she continued to kiss him and began unfastening the top button of his elaborate shirt. When it was undone, she broke the present kiss and pressed her lips to the newly bared skin. She unbuttoned the shirt further, pressing soft kisses to his chest all the while.

Eventually, his chest was completely bared for her view. Her stomach flipped in anticipation as she stared at the smooth alabaster flesh, and she pushed the shirt off of his shoulders, gazing in appreciation at his muscular form.

She touched his chest tentatively, reveling in the feel of his smooth skin and the rippling muscle underneath. However, Darien grew impatient and pulled away from her suddenly, standing and tugging off his black pants. As soon as he was down to black boxers, he pulled her to him, his eyes dark with passion as he reached around to the back of her dress, fingering the zipper. His long fingers fumbled as he tried unfastening the top clasp of the dress and she smiled amusedly, standing and reaching behind her to undo it. Once it was free, he wasted no time in tugging the zipper down, letting go as the dress fell to the floor in a pile of silk and diamonds.

Darien, however, was much more interested in his wife than the dress. He took in her form with hungry eyes, staring fixatedly at the lacy strapless bra. She blushed at the attention and took a seat on the massive bed, embarrassed at being seen in so little. Grabbing a burgundy pillow, she hugged it to herself, unable to make eye contact.

He followed her immediately, shaking his head as she tried to cover herself up. "There is no reason to be embarrassed," he said smoothly, still staring at her chest. "You're my wife now." She failed to respond, still somewhat uneasy. His incessant staring didn't help matters, either. Rolling his eyes, he took a seat on the bed where she sat, the pillow in her lap. "I'm very pleased, if you're wondering," he commented, running a hand along her bare arm.

Her face tilted up and she gazed at him, somewhat surprised. "You are?"

Grinning wryly, he took her hand and placed it on his arousal. She removed her hand immediately, shocked. "I'm more than pleased. I want you, Serena. Do you want me?" he asked unabashedly.

At his question, her face got even redder. After a moment, she whispered a meek, "Yes."

He smiled at her response, pushing her back down. "Then let me do my job," he said playfully, squeezing her breast lightly. The other arm snaked around to her back, his hand working on the bra clasp. After a moment, he freed her of the constraints, her body bared to his smoky eyes.

A faint grin graced his handsome face as he pressed a kiss to the side of her breast, tongue trailing across the slightly salty skin. She gasped at the sensation, failing to notice the hand that crept down her flat stomach to pull at her lace underwear. Before she knew it, the underwear joined the pile of clothes and she buried her face in his neck, embarrassed once more.

She felt Darien shift above her and rub his lips enticingly along the mark he gave her. "You're perfect, Serena. Everything I could ever want," he murmured lovingly, his hands roaming her body and turning her embarrassment into some unrecognizable emotion.

Her small hand traced a path down his chest to the waist of his boxers, tentatively touching the fabric. She looked up at him questioningly. "Please," he whispered hoarsely, and she complied with his wishes, slowly tugging the shorts down until he was completely bare. She stared at him, desire pooling in her limbs and making her feel languid. He was magnificent and she blushed slightly as she looked away from his arousal and into his eyes.

A deep crimson was swimming in his hypnotic blue gaze, the vampiric reaction waiting beneath the surface and screaming for release. He pushed her legs apart then, positioning himself just above her. "Please don't make me wait any longer," he pleaded huskily, bringing a hand to her face and stroking her bottom lip with his thumb.

She smiled up at him, highly aware of the fact that it was probably the first time he'd ever pleaded for something in his life. "Okay," she whispered almost inaudibly, and without any hesitation, he plunged into her. He groaned loudly and she gasped at the slight pain. It wasn't bad... not nearly as bad as she'd expected, but a little uncomfortable at first. He stilled within her, giving her a minute to let the pain subside.

And it did, pleasure coursing through her as the pain dissipated. He began moving within her then, kissing and licking her neck as he did so. Softly murmured words reached her ears but she failed to concentrate on them as she gasped at the sensation of him inside of her.

Their moans filled the room as he pumped into her, one hand at her hip in a nearly crushing grip while the other stay fastened to her breast. He threw his head back in pleasure and she absently noticed his fangs protruding from his mouth. He began to move faster within her and she felt his fangs against her neck as he nuzzled her.

Without preamble, his fangs sunk into her neck, but to her shock, she felt no pain. She moaned as he suckled the wound, her hands rifled through his hair, pressing him to her further. Her silver blood spilled everywhere, but neither cared as they were too caught up in each other to notice.

"So good..." he moaned, licking the last drops of blood from the wound. His strokes were becoming more fervent and frenzied and she felt herself on the precipice.

She shouted his name as she reached her peak, inner muscles tightening around him as she convulsed. He whispered unintelligibly into her neck as he followed her, his moans filling the room as he erupted within her. But he didn't pull out of her immediately; he stayed buried inside her for a short while, lightly stroking her face.

After a few moments, his hand strayed from her face and began trailing over her body once more. She pressed a light kiss to his lips as she felt him begin to harden once more and smiled up at him. At her knowing look, a low growl emitted from his throat as he pinned her to the bed. "I'm not done with you yet," he whispered fiercely as he moved to take her again.

She remained silent, smiling as the sensations took over once more.

* * *

Serena fought to catch her breath as she lay beneath him, totally spent. She felt the soft kisses being pressed to her hair and while she wanted to remain like that, his weight was slowly crushing her. When he sensed her shifting beneath him, he pulled out of her and rolled away, laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath before turning onto his side to face her.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, concerned with her silence.

She smiled lazily, closing her eyes. "Nope."

"Was... was it good for you?" he pressed on, uncertainty apparent in his voice.

Her eyes opened then and she turned to face him. "It was... unbelievable," she whispered dreamily, laying her head on one of the velvet pillows. Staring up at him, she saw the satisfaction on his face at her response. "And you enjoyed yourself?"

He laughed at the question. "Enjoyed would be an understatement, love." Pulling the comforter up and over their cooling bodies, he pulled her to him beneath the covers. "You're everything I could possibly want. And I think I..." he faltered then, his expression blank. Sighing, he pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "Never mind. Goodnight, Serena."

Serena could see that hibernation was moving upon him swiftly as he looked at her through hooded eyes. "Goodnight, Darien." For some reason, she was filled with a great emptiness as he drifted off to sleep, his sentiments going unspoken. "I love you," she whispered quietly, but the comment fell on deaf ears as he was already asleep.

END CHAPTER FOUR

AN: Was it ok? I'm kind of unsure about it, considering the explicit content. Please let me know what you thought. But I am proud of myself for updating in a reasonable amount of time... I figured I'd give you all a little something before life gets too crazy. I do want to write one more chapter before I head off to school, but I'm not making any promises. Just know it's in the agenda, ok? And thanks so much to the people who reviewed for the last chapter... they make me feel so special. So please leave one if you can- I read each and every one. And to my fantastic beta... where would I be without you? Writing total crap. So thank you:) Well, I've got places to go and people to see. Bye! 


	6. Five

AN: You thought it was discontinued, didn't you? To be honest, I did too for a while. Some personal problems that I discussed in my lj kind of turned my life upside down and I'm just getting everything back to normal now. Also, nursing school is kicking my butt so I've barely had time to write. Anyway, the point is I'm back and you hopefully won't have to wait over a year for another update. Sidenote to my editor:I got a new computer and lost your e-mail! I'm so sorry and if you're still interested in being my beta please send me an e-mail and let me know! Thanks so much for bearing with me and I won't keep you any longer… here it is, Chapter Five of Bloodlust. 

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Bloodlust

Chapter Five

Her sleep was not dreamless that night. At first, she dreamt of nothing but her new husband, every scene before her painted with a soft glow and shimmering colors. But soon these visions faded into much darker scenes dimmed by an ominous shadow.

Serena found herself standing at the edge of a clearing. Three figures stood in the center, draped in that same shadow. An infant's cry could be heard in the background, but Serena saw no child. She saw the darkened figures begin to struggle, though she couldn't make out their faces.

Suddenly she heard screams and muffled voices. A smaller figure appeared from the other end of the clearing and disappeared soon after. Serena struggled to discern their words but heard only mournful cries. Suddenly, she saw with clarity she hadn't possessed before one of the figures raise a gun to the other two. Although their faces were blurred and shadowed, she was able to distinguish that only one of the people before her was evil. Somehow, she pitied the two huddled together, and felt a strange empathy within.

Serena shut her eyes, knowing what was to come. And just as she expected, a gunshot tore through the air. Unwillingly, her eyes flew open, and she was met with a pair of flashing green eyes, filled with malice and hatred that she could not comprehend.

Her chest heaved as she awoke, eyes opening as she returned to consciousness. She felt an odd, burning pain and whipped her head to the left to see a cloaked figure with golden eyes piercing her skin with a needle. When she tried to release herself from his grip, she found that she was unable to move. Frantically looking to her right, she realized that three other cloaked figures were holding her to the bed, their frigid, pale fingers biting into her skin. She screamed in terror, and just as she was about to call upon her telekinesis to free herself, her eyes fell upon her new husband at the foot of the bed.

"Don't struggle," he said softly, navy eyes full of an emotion she couldn't place. "It will be over soon."

Her eyes widened at his statement- how could she not struggle when forcibly held against her will? Her breaths were short and stunted from fear as she stared at the syringe beginning to fill with silver blood. "Wh-what are you doing?" she asked shakily.

The golden-eyed vampire said nothing, continuing to draw blood as if she hadn't said a word. Then without warning, she felt another stabbing pain in her right arm. She looked over to find a crimson-eyed vampire injecting a purplish fluid into the vein in her forearm that made her entire bloodstream burn.

Naturally, she tried to retract her arm, but to no avail. "What is that? What are you giving me?" she shrieked, nearly hysterical. She looked to her overly calm husband in anger and desperation. "Darien what is going on?!?"

"Be still," he replied calmly, enraging her further.

"Get off of me!" she screamed, getting angrier and more terrified by the second. Her eyes began to glow a frightful blue and she could see the pale skin of the vampires' hands begin to redden, almost as if they were… burning?

"Serena stop!" Darien cried out, rushing to the head of the bed. Placing his hands on either side of her face, he ignored the burning sensation he felt and tried to get her to focus on him. "You'll kill them! They won't hurt you, and it's almost over. Please stop!"

The touch of his hands on her face shook her out of her enraged trance. His words barely penetrated the chaos in her mind, and when she comprehended his plea, she calmed slightly. The glow began to dissipate and she relaxed somewhat, allowing them to finish their ministrations.

As soon as they finished, they retreated from her, freeing her limbs from the iron grip and drew back to the other end of the room. She couldn't tell exactly what they were doing with the syringe, but at the moment she had more pressing matters at hand. "What the hell was that?" she asked, trembling as she pulled the covers up around her lithe form protectively. Silver blood trickled from the fresh wounds but she paid them no heed.

Darien moved onto the bed then, gathering her up in his arms. "They were testing to see if you were pregnant," he admitted softly, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Her head shot up at his confession and she pushed his hands away. "Pregnant?" she asked, astonished. "You want to know if I'm fucking pregnant after one damn night so you hold me down and draw my blood? Whatever happened to asking for a urine sample?"

He smiled faintly. "Our blood tests detect traces of pregnancy hormones much more accurately than a simple urine test."

She looked at him in utter disbelief. "And you couldn't wake me up and say, 'hey, can we draw some of your blood?' You had to nearly give me a freaking heart attack by waking me up with a needle in my arm?" she asked incredulously.

Frowning at her question, he began stroking her cheek in an attempt to calm her. "We feared you would not submit to testing."

She scowled. "And what was that purple stuff they injected into me?"

"Fertility drugs," he said simply.

"Do I have a say in any of this?" she spat, disgusted by the situation she'd somehow gotten herself into.

His dark eyes narrowed slightly at her question. "You knew what was expected of you when you married me." Suddenly, he turned and asked his brethren in the corner a question in that strange vampiric language.

The golden-eyed vampire muttered a reply in their language, his voice almost snake-like as he held up a test tube filled with a muddy-colored liquid.

Darien scowled at the reply, shaking his head. Serena's pale blue eyes narrowed as she stared at him, seething. "What is it now?" she asked exasperatedly.

"You're not pregnant," he said in a dangerously low voice, and sensing his anger, his brethren disappeared.

A mixture of anger and hurt rushed through her veins at his bitter statement. "So I'm just your damn vessel for the hybrids? That's it?" The hurt she was feeling was evident in her tone and she hated it.

His demeanor changed suddenly, a contrite look playing on his beautiful face as his features softened. "No!" he reassured, reaching for her once more.

"Don't touch me," she shrieked, scrambling off of the bed, "You people are sick."

"'You people?'" he asked, obviously offended. "I thought you to be more informed than the rest of your kind."

Her pale blue eyes narrowed at his venomous tone. "My kind? You forget that I don't even know what the hell I am!"

"Day Walkers never respected our way of life! They never felt the burden of having to feed, and they judged us nonetheless!" he spoke passionately, irises shifting from blue to red in anger.

Serena faltered, looking down and playing with the tie on her black silk robe. "I… I never looked at it that way."

Her change in demeanor cooled his anger almost immediately. He approached her once more, his hand pushing a lock of golden hair from her face. "You will, little one. Immortality will come at a price for you, I'm afraid. You will feel my hunger to feed eventually. You will experience the pain firsthand."

Crystal blue eyes widening in fear, Serena gasped. "Will I have to feed?"

He smiled softly, "No. But you will feel my bloodlust, just as I feel when you are angered or in pain."

Her brow furrowed at the new information. "So… couldn't you feel if I were pregnant then?"

Shaking his head, he gathered her in his arms once again and laid them back down on the massive bed. "Unfortunately no… conception is a very complex process in the underworld… children are rare for us."

She nodded at his cryptic response. "Okay, so children are rare, I understand. But from now on, if you want me to take the fertility drugs and test for pregnancy, I'll do it," she said firmly, her tone telling him that forced testing was out of the question.

His brow furrowed, "It is a complex process…"

"And I'm not a moron. Remember, before you I did have a career ahead of me," she pointed out.

He smiled then, planting a soft kiss on her forehead, "Sometimes I forget you had a life before me. Vampire women are not skilled as you are, nor are they involved in fertility much."

Deciding this was much more interesting than arguing about the rights and abilities of women with him, she burrowed into his embrace and questioned him further. "Why is that"  
He laughed sardonically. "You try and create life from the undead."

She looked up at him confusedly. "Then how...?"

That enigmatic smile fell upon his full lips again. "I suppose we are the equivalent to your 'test tube babies'."

"So there aren't any natural born vampires?"

He smirked. "Not yet. Our children will be the first."

"Are you sure it's safe? I mean... will the baby...?" she trailed off worriedly.

He gazed back at her concernedly. "According to your father, it will work." Softly tilting her chin up with a cold hand, he frowned, "But I don't know... relations were bad back then."

"Relations? You mean between my parents and yours?" Perhaps this would explain the endless animosity toward her throughout the entire kingdom.

"Kind of... we were born in a time of war. Your parents' side was losing... badly."

She frowned slightly. "We were the last of the Day Walkers," she said matter-of-factly.

Nodding, he continued, "Your parents killed thousands of vampires on their own, but one by one, we picked off the Day Walkers. Your kind was rare as well... and far smaller in numbers than mine. You had the abilities to kill us, but we... we had you outnumbered."

"If we were so skilled at killing you, how were we outnumbered then?"

He sighed. "Vampires, for the most part, are made, not born. You bite someone and turn them, instant soldier. But a Day Walker is naturally born, genetically gifted. And the more we killed off, the fewer chances for procreation."

Sadness filled her eyes as she studied him. "How were they killed?"

"You want to know?" She nodded. "It's not something I take pride in... but my people were extremely smart about their methods of assassination. They caught Day Walkers off-guard... when they slept... when they least expected it. They isolated their prey, picking them off when there was no one to help them. The vampires allied themselves with the lycanthropes too, which you were unskilled in killing, so that helped."

At his words, she rolled onto her back and out of his embrace, pain filling her chest at the loss of her brethren. "Guerilla warfare... And my parents were the last…"

He shook his head at her quietly uttered words, softly stroking her cheek in an attempt to soothe the ache he knew she felt within. "You were the last. But your parents… they were the strongest and the smartest. Their sole desire was to keep you safe, even if it meant tainting the bloodline. My people had difficulty tracking them, as they were always moving. They had few allies, and they knew their deaths were imminent, so they made a deal with us."

"It makes sense," she said quietly, turning to face him once more, "but why did you fight in the first place?"

He smirked. "We were the bad guys. The feud dates back hundreds of years... we killed civilians to stay alive and your people found that unjust. To you it was murder, but to us it was survival."

Looking away, a frown marred her delicate features. "I guess there's a thin line, huh?"

A sound of agreement came from his throat as he held her. "Precisely. They don't called us the damned for nothing."

She smirked at the comment, her mood lightening at his sarcasm. "Aww, I don't consider you damned. I think you're cute as a button." To prove her point, she pinched his cheek lightly.

He raised a dark eyebrow, "Though I'm not familiar with the term, I'll take it as a compliment." She smiled and a mischievous grin spread across his face. "I'll also take it as an invitation for sex if you don't mind," he added suggestively, slipping a hand into her robe and squeezing her bare breast.

Giggling, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You assume too much, sir."

Untying the belt at her waist, he began trailing wet kisses down her neck. "Don't tell me I'll have to persuade you further," he said with mock exasperation.

Lifting her head a little higher, she sighed playfully, "Do as you must."

He stopped his kisses right above her breasts. "Well if you're going to put it that way then I'll just go back to bed," he said, feigning hurt.

As he turned to move she gripped him by the hair with a forwardness she didn't know she possessed. "Don't stop," she said seriously, all traces of playfulness gone from her voice.

A sensual grin spread across his handsome face at her actions. "That's more like it," he said in between a torrent of kisses down her body. "Now I just want to hear that a couple more times."

She smiled then, surrendering herself to the moment. She felt a tickling on her lower abdomen and found him placing soft, delicate kisses on her stomach and looking at it raptly.

At that moment, she picked up an unguarded thought of his: 'Soon her womb will be filled with my seed… our child. Soon.'

She attempted to shake off the inadvertently read thought but it plagued her even as he began to make love to her. 'He doesn't want me,' she thought sadly, 'he only wants my children.'

* * *

She hadn't seen him for the rest of the night. After a thorough session of lovemaking, he'd simply announced that he was going "out" and would be back later. It bothered her that he left without a second glance, that he didn't even have the courtesy to tell her where the hell he was going. She was trapped in the damn hellhole and he was off doing whatever he damn well pleased.

In the time being, she busied herself with some books on vampire culture she'd discovered in one of the many rooms in the palace. This one was decorated like most others- dim lighting, velvet couches in burgundy. Taking a seat on the plush cushions, she spread the ruby-colored skirts of the gown she'd been given to wear over the furniture, and settled back to try and learn something about the enigmatic man she'd married. Furrowing her brow, she stared at the pages of the book mindlessly, unable to focus on the words in front of her.

On top of everything, she'd had a strange feeling for the past hour… a feeling that wasn't her own. It was a good chance that it was Darien's, as they now shared the bond. The sensation was mildly pleasurable, as if she'd just eaten an enormous meal after starving. She decided that she'd have to question him about it when he returned… if he returned.

Suddenly she felt a strange pull within. Without knowing how, she knew he was near. And as she predicted, he appeared before her, in all his handsome glory.

Except this was not the cold, pale prince she was used to. He looked… exhilarated. His skin was a healthy shade of pink, and flushed- something she'd never seen before. His irises blazed a deep crimson like when he was angered, but he certainly wasn't angry. Waves of pleasure seemed to be emanating from him mentally, making her extremely uncomfortable.

She regarded him warily, "Where were you?" she asked coldly, keeping her distance.

He smirked, his ominous, black leather-clad form advancing on her. "Miss me?"

Backing up further on the couch where she sat, her eyes narrowed as she noted his pulsating jugular vein. "What is wrong with you?"

His smirk turned to a full grin, exposing his fangs. Except instead of gleaming in the light as they normally did, she noticed a crimson stain on the tips. Paying no heed to the growing look of horror on her face, he crawled over her onto the velvet couch. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with me, darling. I'm more worried about you. Maybe you should lie down," he finished suggestively, eyes darkening in desire as he moved even closer.

Disturbed, she retreated from his advances, pushing at the hand that determinedly moved toward her breast. Abruptly, she froze as their skin touched. "Your hand… is warm."

Ignoring her, his slid his lips against hers, rubbing back and forth lightly just to create enough friction to set her aflame. "Your mouth is warm," he murmured against her lips.

Desperately trying not to give in to the passion that threatened to overwhelm her, she remained still despite his seduction. "Darien," she managed hoarsely, "this isn't you."

That stopped him. His eyes narrowed as he straightened up. "This very much is me."

Shaking her head, she looked at him in disbelief. "You're not acting normal."

Anger began to creep into his eyes. "This is normal for me. It's a part of my life that you'll come to understand as my mate."

She began to grow angry as well. "What did you do when you were gone? Did you… did you sleep with someone?" she demanded shakily.

Vaguely she noticed books began falling from the shelves and the ground shook beneath her heels. "Are you kidding me?" he bellowed, his anger manifesting in the violent shaking of her surroundings. "Are you fucking kidding me? Do you think so little of me that I would be unfaithful to you?"

"Well what am I to think?" she shouted back. "You leave for five hours and come back all messy, and horny for that matter, and won't tell me what you were doing?"

"You want to know what I was doing?" he asked darkly.

"Yes," she said firmly, "enlighten me."

"I was killing someone!" he shouted at her, "A girl no older than fifteen. I bit her! I watched the life drain from her as I bled her dry!" He quieted then, glaring at his horrified wife. "Happy?" he asked coldly.

"My God…" she whispered, barely audible. Backing away, she stared at him in disbelief. He'd fed… he'd murdered someone. She couldn't take in the information, so she ran. She ran away from him because she couldn't process the horrible act he'd committed.

Darien gripped the glass sculpture at the center of the table in the room and flung it against the wall in anger. It shouldn't have happened like that. He watched as it shattered and still felt no relief. Walking to his adjacent study, he poured himself a shot of whiskey and let it burn down his throat. He'd feared she respond with horror to his feeding. He brought a hand to his head and shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the last few moments. It shouldn't have happened like that.

It was around five in the morning when Serena felt another presence in her bedroom. She hadn't slept a wink that night, staying huddled up in their bed, hiding under the covers and wondering when he'd come back. If he came back that night… he was indescribably angry when she'd fled. She'd heard the glass shatter as she sought sanctuary in the next room. Obviously she'd crossed a line… but she had a right to know! She was his wife after all.

The creaking of the mattress interrupted her pondering. "Darien?" she whispered quietly, her voice almost childlike.

"Yes?" he responded, his tone hesitant. Hesitant! Him, King of the vampires, hesitant.

The caution in his voices shocked her to the core. "Are… are you okay?"

"Are you?" he shot back, still quiet.

She sighed. "I think so."

He turned to face her in the bed. "Can… we forget this happened?"

She didn't have the energy to fight. Everything was too new to her, too foreign. He was the only stable thing she had. Reaching out, she pulled him to her, burrowing in his embrace. "Come to bed, Darien. Come to bed."

A few weeks later…

Serena slowly wandered down the dimly lit grand hall, burgundy skirts swishing in the dead silence. Most vampires were in hibernation, as it was daytime, but from the looks of her surroundings, it could've been midnight. Still, a few of the vampires were awake, watching. Always watching.

By this time, she'd learned to ignore the glowing eyes in the blackness, the crimson and gold eyes that stared in eerie silence as she traveled the grounds of the underworld. Her blue eyes shifted to the elaborate grandfather clock across the room. Right now she could be visiting with friends after lunch at the picnic tables, or simply sitting under a tree taking in the sunlight as she noticed the leaves changing color and falling to the ground. She could be lounging in jeans and a sweatshirt, not the heavy beaded gown she wore now.  
Except she couldn't. That life was gone, and she'd learned to accept it. She lived for the nights now, as her husband did. When she did leave the underground palace, the world was cast in a moonlit shadow, nothing like the vibrant, bright world she'd once known. It all seemed dead to her… the only truly alive thing to her was her undead husband. The thought brought her back to reality; he'd be upset if he awoke from hibernation and found her gone.

He never liked to wake alone. She'd come to learn this in the short month they'd been married. She had the feeling that she'd learned too much about the race, become too accustomed to their way of life. Even her schedule was attuned to their cycle now. Every afternoon when she woke, she tested herself for pregnancy, and when it came out negative like always, she'd inject the fertility drugs as requested. As requested. Since when had she become such a doormat?

Suddenly, a whisper of sound broke her reverie and she whipped around, peering into the darkness. "How does it feel, my Queen?" Serena couldn't see the woman, but she knew all too well who spoke.

"Raye. You're up early," she said dryly, keeping distance between herself and the woman who appeared in front of her.

The black-haired princess smiled darkly, fangs glinting in the dim candlelight, "Hmm, it would seem so. I've never been one to follow the crowd." When Serena didn't respond, she continued, "So how does it feel to rule the undead?"

"Stifling," she replied simply, understanding that politeness would be lost on the woman.  
Raye's red lips curled into a smile, "Care to expand?"

Serena regarded her warily. "Forgive me for not jumping into a gab fest. After our last encounter, you don't exactly come off as warm and fuzzy."

"Would you expect that from any of us?" she asked darkly, violet eyes glittering. Pausing, she took her new sister-in-law in, eyes narrowing at the twisted circlet on her forehead. "You don't belong here."

"I've noticed," Serena retorted coldly, blue eyes frosting over.

"And I wonder why that is…" she trailed off, laughing sardonically.  
Serena sighed, rolling her eyes at the dark-haired woman. "Why are you here? I'm getting tired of these games."

Raye feigned incredulousness well. "Are you suggesting I have an ulterior motive for visiting my favorite sister-in-law? You're not as dumb as I thought you were."

Serena's eyes flashed a silver-blue in anger. "What makes you think I won't have you killed for that comment?"

"I'm almost scared… I see you've been spending time with my brother. He's always been one to use birthright in his favor… unjustly, of course."

Her jaw tightened at the comment. Before she was even aware of the movement, she held her sister-in-law by the throat, the silver glow her body emitted turning Raye's pale skin a frightful red. "Spit it out," she ground out, dropping Raye to the floor unremorsefully.

Raye's expression shifted from one of shock to sadistic pleasure as she shakily stood from the black marble. "Yes, my dear queen," she hissed, wiping away blood from the corner of her mouth. "I suspect that Darien never told you that I was once in line to inherit the throne."

The glow from Serena's eyes dissipated as she took in Raye's words. "Explain," she said tersely, still not trusting the deceptive vampire.

"Darien is not my older brother… I am over four hundred years older than him."

Serena's eyes widened. "What?"

Raye nodded, "I was the first genetically engineered vampire child. Others were made after my successful fertilization… including my brother. Except… by then they'd gotten much better at creating life. He was made with the favorable traits of my mother and father… the perfect one to inherit the throne when my parents hibernate"  
She stilled at this. "What hibernation"  
"Darien needs to give you a history lesson, your Highness. My parents will go into hibernation soon… they've lived for thousands of years. When they hibernate, you and brother dearest will reign. Apparently if they'd chosen me it would've all gone to hell."

"You would've been Queen…" Serena said in realization.

Raye nodded, lips curling into a sardonic smile. "You catch on quickly. Darien's betrothal to you was just the icing on the cake. He was already the perfect child, but now, he was the solution to our fertility problems as well."

"You were neglected," Serena said softly, contritely.

Raising an eyebrow, Raye seemed unaffected by Serena's display of emotion. "Neglected? No… being a princess does have some perks. But overlooked? Absolutely. You see, the four hundred years I have over Darien gives me an advantage… I know things that he does not. I know what the kingdom needs to survive. Unfortunately genetic perfection and a sperm sample take precedence over my knowledge and experience. You two will bring the race to extinction."

Any pity that Serena harbored for the woman quickly flew out the window. Her eyes narrowed as she glared back at the vampire. "Why would you think that?"

"So many reasons… you won't be able to stand his feeding eventually. Or he'll isolate you from the world you once knew... if he hasn't already. Either way, you won't survive in our world. Those blessed as you weren't meant for this life. When I tried to kill you, I was trying to save you."

Serena scowled. "Save me? You were just trying to move up in rank."

Raye smirked. "Maybe so, but death would've been preferable to what you will experience."

"Leave me," she bit out, needing time to sort through the new information.

The evil smile that Serena had grown used to spread across Raye's face again. "As you wish, your Highness." With that, she disappeared into thin air.

* * *

He returned much later that evening, cheeks flushed, unusually lively. She knew the cause of his appearance and behavior very well… he had just fed. So much for having a discussion with him about her conversation with Raye. He was obviously in no condition to think logically.

"Hello my love," he purred, pushing her up against a wall.

Scowling, attempted to push him away and cursed when he didn't move an inch. Damn superhuman muscles. "I see you've been busy," she muttered bitterly, crystal blue eyes narrowing at the sight of his exposed fangs.

He smiled ruefully and began trailing kisses down her neck. "Now, now, my dear," he admonished, "Is that any way to greet your husband?"

She stiffened at his amorous tone. "It is when you're like this," she replied tersely, a steely expression on her face.

His grin widened at her response, infuriating her further. "You missed me… I can tell," he murmured, sliding a hand down her flimsy black nightgown to the apex of her legs.

Jerking away from his touch, she scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You've been feeding."

He straightened up then, slightly perturbed. "And? It's what we do to survive. It makes me feel… alive. You should appreciate those feelings… surely you feel them too."

Her eyes widened, "No, I don't feel pleasure from murdering others! We may be connected, but I would NEVER take pleasure in that!"

Shaking his head, his eyes glared at her coldly. "My family was right. Day Walkers will never understand our survival method."

"You could leave them with enough to stay alive!" she cried out, eyes tearing up.

He scowled at the statement. "Do you know how many we'd have to feed off of in one night? And how many would be hospitalized?"

"It's better than murder!"

"Survival is not murder!" he bellowed, eyes glowing a frightful crimson.

She stepped back at his reaction, slightly afraid. "You're a monster," she whispered bitterly, barely audible.

But he heard the softly uttered words. He advanced on her then, pulling her tense body to his in a vice grip. "I'm a monster?" he asked, voice nearly shaking the room. Suddenly, his tone dropped to almost a whisper. "Well you seem to enjoy it when this monster bites you." And to prove his point, he sunk his fangs into her neck, causing her to cry out in a mix of anger and intense pleasure. He moaned as he began to drink from her, noting her sharp intake of breath.

As he continued to suck the blood from her veins, he tore the silky black nightgown down the middle, eliciting a gasp of outrage from his weakened wife. Closing the wound, both were panting as he leaned over her, whispering in her ear, "You seem to like it when this monster touches you."

Violently pushing her onto the bed, he tore at his own clothing and climbed above her weakened body predatorily. Plunging his tongue into her mouth, he kissed her savagely, and she allowed him access despite her better judgment. He broke away suddenly, staring down at her with a mixture of lust and anger in his eyes. "Do you want this monster to fuck you?" he asked darkly.

She couldn't think. She just couldn't think when he was so close. "I… I want…" she stammered, closing her eyes and turning away, trying to gain a semblance of sanity.

Pulling her hair so she had to look up at him, he demanded a response. "What do you want?" he growled, moving to nuzzle her neck. He ran his tongue along her pulse, relishing in the pounding he elicited. "I want to fuck you, Serena. You want it?" he asked darkly, plunging two fingers into her sex as an invitation.

She would regret it. She knew without a doubt that she'd regret her actions. They should fight it out, yell and scream and do whatever was necessary to resolve the issue, not put a band-aid on it with wild makeup sex. "I want you," she choked out, giving in to the sensations, not caring about the repercussions as he slid into her, crushing his lips to hers in a fierce kiss meant to possess.

This was not the careful, gentle lovemaking she was used to. It was raw, primitive mating. He slammed into her, moaning loudly as he claimed her as his own. Amidst her own passion, she noticed his irises glowing the deep crimson she knew so well. Faintly, she noted the soft silvery glow she was also emitting, but since he didn't seem to take heed, the thought quickly fled her mind as she was consumed by him.

He was in every cell of her body, every last crevice of her mind. She had completely lost control, not knowing where he started and she began. Her bloodstream burned as she quickened the pace, begging him for completion. Nails digging into the flesh of his biceps, she murmured his name and tightened around him deliberately. He groaned, speeding up further, driving into her without abandon.

"Ah fuck… Serena…" he ground out, speeding up his thrusting. She moaned in response, throwing her head back and exposing her long neck. Leaning down, he licked the smooth skin of her neck, moving slowly up to her ear. "You're mine," he whispered harshly, eyes sparkling a deep crimson.

"Darien," she said breathlessly, sliding her hand to his cheek and turning his head to face her.

He groaned, roughly massaging her inner thighs as he stared lustfully at the sight before him. Her skin had an ethereal glow; even slicked with sweat, and she was surrounded by a soft silver glow that reverberated through him like nothing he'd ever experienced. "Say it," he commanded, "say you're mine."

She didn't want to, even though she knew it to be true. It was a power struggle, one she wasn't sure she could win. So she opted to distract him. Tugging at the nape of his neck, her lips met his in a fervent kiss. Their tongues warred as he continued to slam into her.

Roughly, he broke the kiss and stared at his wife, crimson eyes narrowed. "Say it, baby," he slid a hand down past her flat stomach, stimulating her most sensitive area, "Say nobody else will ever get to do this to you. Say it."

Serena nearly came off the bed as he stroked her. She groaned, her resolve slipping with each passing moment. Finding herself near the edge, she thrust her hips upward. When he removed his hand, she groaned in frustration.

"You want it baby?" he asked, lowering his head to suck on her full breast.

"Yes," she replied throatily, begging for release.

He smirked, gently biting her nipple, then laving the wound with his tongue. Moving upward, he placed his lips less than a centimeter away from hers. "Say it and I'll give it to you."

She was desperate… her entire body felt as if it was on fire and every stroke sent her closer to the edge. When she could no longer take it, she looked up at him, wide eyes full of emotion. "I'm yours," she whispered huskily.

At her words, his pace became frenzied. His hands were everywhere, caressing what seemed like every inch. He mentally linked with her then, instantly knowing what she desired, her mind totally unguarded.

She heard his every thought in her mind, completely connected to her husband. So caught up in the enigma before her, she failed to notice the glow surrounding them growing brighter and brighter. Meeting every thrust, the fire burned through her body just as she now knew it did in his.

And all of a sudden, she froze, her back arching off the bed as she reached her peak. Her moans filled the room as she contracted around him, and with one final thrust he was sent over the edge, following her into pure ecstasy. And the last thing he remembered was a blinding light flooding the room before he passed out.

Serena awoke the following evening with a strange feeling coursing through her veins. She felt shaky, weak, and… different. Without even looking to her left, she sensed that Darien was already awake and out of the room because of the bond they shared. The pulling sensation she felt when he was nearby was absent. Attempting to sit up in bed, she was surprised to find that the simple effort made her head spin. Raising a hand to her head, she lay back on the pillows behind her. Looking to the nightstand on the right side of the bed, she noticed the pregnancy test and fertility drugs laid out for her as usual.

Scowling, she silently reprimanded herself for giving into Darien so easily the night before. Once again she'd turned into a puddle of submissive nothingness and all of her carefully built up determination had flown out the window. Spineless. Absolutely spineless. Shaking her head, she reached for the syringe at the bedside and she groaned at the effort. It felt like fifty pound weights were tied to her arms and the simple act of reaching made her weak.

She hated weakness. Her entire life she'd felt helpless and the feeling drove her insane. Eyes narrowing, she forced herself to stand and gripped the syringe securely, bringing it close to the pulsing vein in her pale arm.

Jabbing the needle into her own arm, she drew blood. As soon as she collected enough, she deposited the blood in a test tube and added the familiar clear liquid. She vigorously shook the tube and watched with baited breath for the same muddy brown color to emerge from the swirling mixture. Each turn of the liquid against the glass moved ever so slowly in her mind, until she saw color begin to seep into the tube. A deep shade of red permeated the glass vial, filling her with dread. The tube slipped through her fingers and shattered on the cold marble, doing nothing to shake her out of her stupor. She looked down absently at the ground as the liquid beaded up on the cold surface of the floor. Red. It meant only one thing… she was pregnant.

End Chapter Five

AN: Oh the graphicness... hopefully this new installment was okay. It's obviously been a while since I've written so I hope it meets the standards of what I've written before. Anyway, if you get the opportunity, a review would be just lovely. I do read all of them and they make me so very happy... and motivated to write! Thanks! Usabelle


	7. Six

Chapter Six

Bloodlust

By Usabelle

AN: My darling, lovely, super-faithful readers, here we are again… much later than I anticipated. My life has been insanely busy and just keeps getting in the way. Unfortunately, the whole writing process isn't going as quickly and easily as I'd like, and I know it's frustrating (for ALL involved). I'm facing facts that I am just not a fast writer. But no matter how long it takes, I'll finish this story- I have no plans of abandoning it. Also, I am apparently a dumbass and for the longest time, I couldn't figure out how to reply to PMs through ; if you did send me something and didn't get a reply, please don't be offended. And if you would like a reply from me, the best way to contact me is probably directly through my email (PMs still tend to confuse me). Also, a huge thank you goes out to Princess-Serenity-324 for being a fantastic beta for this chapter! Anyway, thank you for your patience and here is the sixth chapter of Bloodlust!

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Chapter Six

Darien marched down the hall with purpose, black leather boots pounding against marble. Something felt off ever since he'd awoken from hibernation and he knew it had something to do with Serena. And being the take-charge kind of man he was, he was going to find out exactly what was going on. However, his determined stride slowed to a stop as he came across a floor-to-ceiling painting of his wife looking down upon him regally.

He sighed. Last night had been good, but more than anything, it had driven them further apart. He craved her acceptance, for her to love him despite his shortcomings. But deep within, he knew how she truly felt; he knew she despised him for his flaws. Yes, she desired him, but he feared that was the extent of her devotion. She was disgusted by what he was and it probably wasn't going to change.

Blue eyes gazed sadly at the likeness of his beautiful young wife. He had hoped that a baby would make her feel something for him, even a little bit. Surely bearing his child would foster some kind of fondness for him, wouldn't it? Sometimes, it seemed as though she was taken with him, and other times… other times she looked at him as though he were the scum of the earth. And those times he couldn't stand it.

She was perfect for him… but was he perfect for her? His jaw clenched as he stared at her pristine face. He kept telling himself that she'd come to care for him eventually, even love him eventually, despite what he was. She was right when she called him a monster. The very same monster that screamed within him to feed until satiated also screamed at him to keep his mate safe at all costs; to claim her as his for eternity. He turned his back on the painting, the familiar mask of indifference falling back into place once more as he resumed his trek to the royal suite. Eventually she would learn to accept him, to love him. She had to.

* * *

Pounding on the thick ebony door resonated through the cavernous bedroom, breaking Serena's trance-like state as she stared in shock at the shattered test tube on the marble floor. Lunging for the towel sitting near the fertility equipment, she quickly mopped up the mess and tried to ignore her world spinning at the simple act. Should she tell him? If she did, she knew she would be confined to the palace for the duration of the pregnancy. A prisoner in her own home; perhaps she felt stifled now, but nine months below ground would be torture. No, she wouldn't tell him. Not yet.

Darien entered the room after a moment, and she stood just in time to meet his strangely docile gaze.

He looked at her uncertainly, taking a tentative step toward her. "I came to remind you of the banquet tonight… and…" He sighed, glossy ebony bangs falling into his remorseful eyes, "I'm sorry about last night… I just… it's just a part of me that won't change and I want you to understand it." His azure eyes dropped to the ground and he almost whispered his next few words, "I don't want you to hate me."

Her blonde head shot up at his words. Hate him? Far from it. Maybe they had issues… but hate? Hardly. "I don't hate you," she said, a note of confusion in her voice.

Taking a few more steps toward her, he struggled to convey the meaning of his words. "I don't want just that, Serena, I'm your husband…"

The world spun crazily before her and she was in no mood to discuss her innermost feelings at the time. "Please leave," she said quietly, turning away from him and hugging her body. The last thing she wanted was for him to catch on to her little secret… especially when she hadn't even wrapped her mind around it yet.

It was as though she'd struck him by the look on his face. He stood there, shocked for a moment, until he realized something was off about her; she was blocking him from reading her thoughts. "You're guarding yourself from me," he stated, hurt lacing his deep voice.

Grasping onto the ebony night table to her right, she tried to downplay how ill she felt yet maintained the barrier in her mind. "Please leave me alone. I'm not feeling very well."

Concern filled his eyes as he stared at her pale form. "Is it… because of last night? Did I hurt you?"

Well, in a way he was the cause of her pain, she thought wryly. "I don't know," she said quietly, refraining from looking him in the eye.

In a moment he appeared beside her, gripping her forearms and looking down at her with a mix of shame and concern. "What did I do? What have I done to you?"

Guilt was the first emotion she felt as his icy fingers wrapped around her thin limbs. Guilt for keeping such a monumental secret from him, guilt for making him feel as though he were completely responsible for her illness… the shame grew and grew the more she thought about it. However, the guilt quickly shifted to agitation as his jostling movements made her head pound. Her form tensed immediately at his sudden aggressiveness and she frowned. "I don't know what happened after. You can stop the whole 'I'm so worried about you' act because I probably have the flu," she said coldly, moving out of his grasp.

His eyes glinted dangerously at her jab. "You really think this is an act? I care about your well being, dammit."

"Oh yes, because what is a king without his queen, right? I almost forgot for two seconds that without me, there'd be no hybrid and you wouldn't be king!" she shot back, her pale face flushing with anger and resentment. She wasn't bitter… at least that's what she told herself.

"I would still be king," he ground out darkly, irises glowing ever so slightly.

Her eyes narrowed. "And that title wasn't supposed to be yours."

He froze at her words. "What are you talking about?"

Smirking, she took a seat on the large bed in hopes of alleviating the lightheaded feeling plaguing her. "Raye and I had a sisterly chat."

"You did," it was more of a statement than a question, "Then you know she's older than me. And I assume she gave you an abbreviated version of why she was not chosen to rule," he said bitterly.

She raised an eyebrow at his harsh tone. "Because you were genetically preferable?"

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips and he sunk down next to her on the bed. "I'm guessing that she forgot mention that she was once pregnant."

Her pale eyes widened at the new information. "What?"

He shook his head, a mix of sadness and anger playing on his handsome face. "She disobeyed all of our laws… she chose a human for her mate; a human who refused to be turned. So when she became pregnant, it was an incompatible joining. Our people had already tested such procreation and knew of its incompatibility. Children born of humans only live a few days… if they even last nine months. Raye refused to terminate the pregnancy."

"Well could you blame her?" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air in disbelief at his callousness. "There's always a chance…"

He grimaced at her response, ebony bangs falling into his eyes as he shook his head. "You need special genes in order to give birth to a healthy hybrid. Human genes aren't… enough to produce a viable fetus. We knew that. It's against our laws for a reason and she chose to ignore us! She… she abandoned us and ran off with the human. Somehow she managed to carry the fetus to term."

Her brow furrowed. "Then how…?"

He sighed and the pained look on his face was unsettling. "It barely lived an hour past birth. When she finally talked about it, she said its cries were unearthly… each breath pained it. And when it died, the human abandoned her. She returned to us, and although we accepted her back, she was deemed unfit to rule. Her foolish choices nearly exposed our world and needlessly hurt an innocent life. She showed complete disregard for our laws and had to be punished. I was eleven years old when she returned."

Her eyes swam with tears at the thought of Raye's tragic situation. "Oh God…" she breathed.

He nodded solemnly. "I imagine her animosity toward you stems from the fact that you can have children and she wasn't able to. And that you will rule in her place."

"I… feel sorry for her," she said quietly, sadness permeating her delicate features.

His navy eyes darkened as he stared at her. "You shouldn't. She made those decisions knowing all of the consequences," he spat, any traces of sadness or regret from earlier gone.

She scowled and willed her tears away. "How can you be so heartless? The woman lost her child and was abandoned by the man she loved. A parent should never have to bury their child."

"For someone who has never carried a child, you're awfully concerned about her motherly feelings."

Careful to ensure that her thoughts were still masked, her expression turned steely. "Call it empathy."

His eyes narrowed as he took her form in suspiciously. "Empathy implies sharing a common experience. And we all know that you are still not with child."

At his words, her blood began to boil. If he was going to be a stubborn ass then maybe she could keep a secret or two! "And it all comes back to what _really _matters to you! You've made your point; now get out of my room." Her command was spoken slowly and clearly, like the queen that she was supposed to be.

"Our room," he corrected stubbornly, yet made no effort to move.

His refusal of her wishes simply fueled the fire already burning with her. "Get out of MY room, you selfish bastard!" she demanded, her voice rising in pitch and volume as her anger grew.

"Why are you so-"

"GET OUT!" she bellowed, eyes glowing a threatening bright blue as she stood menacingly before him.

And as the room filled with her silver-white glow, they noticed a strange occurrence. Instead of the blinding light searing Darien's skin as it normally did, he began to… absorb it.

Energy seeped into his pale skin, causing it to glow with a foreign warmth. "Well that's new," he commented absently, examining the pinkish skin on the backs of his hands.

She gasped as she felt him absorb her blast of energy. She tried to fend off a wave of dizziness and grasped onto the bedpost as she glared at him, eyes still a glowing stormy blue. "That should have hurt you."

A sly smile crept onto his flushed face, "It would seem so. However, I suspect our bond is beginning to provide a buffer against injury. The last time you burned me it wasn't nearly as severe… the longer we are bonded, it seems the effects of our powers lessen on one another."

Scowling, she took a seat on the bed as her world tilted crazily. Carefully masking her equilibrium problems, she continued to glare at him. "Why the hell would I get weaker from being bonded to you?" She nearly spat the last word out, pointing a finger at him shakily.

He sighed as he leaned back on his elbows beside her. "I'm not entirely sure… a bond such as this has never been successfully completed before. I think my body is becoming acclimated to your gifts as an act of preservation. Good thing, too, since you seem to have quite a temper."

Noticing her quickly reddening cheeks and irate expression, he sighed. Taking her hand, he tried to get her attention but to no avail, as she stubbornly continued to look away from him. He lightly rubbed his thumb in circles against the palm of her hand, but it did nothing to lessen her rigidity. "Our souls are tied together now, whether you like it or not. If one of us dies, both of us die."

. She hated how he switched from arrogant asshole to the man of her dreams almost instantaneously. If he were constantly an ass, her life would be so much simpler. But ever so often, he would throw her off-kilter, showing her a glimpse of someone she knew she loved. He had to complicate things. "Then I guess I'll have to find other ways to hurt you," she ground out bitterly, tearing her hand from his grasp.

His eyes narrowed at her iciness and he immediately grew defensive. "Look, is this about last night, because I already-"

"Get out of my room, Darien. I don't answer to you," she said defiantly, head held high.

"How dare you."

She turned to face him then, her expression icy. "I may be your wife and I may be bound to you until death, but you do not own me. Now leave so that I can get ready for your little get together."

He appeared wounded as all traces of anger vanished from his face. "Serena…"

"Now, Darien!" she said firmly, turning around so she didn't have to look at him anymore.

* * *

An hour later found Serena walking regally out of the master bedroom in a shimmering floor-length silver gown. The backless design made her feel way too exposed and her breasts felt too sore to be pushed as far as up as they were, but she was in the mood to kill and wanted to look the part.

Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she entered the dining hall. Her spine tingled as the bond alerted her to his nearby presence and her jaw tightened. As she anticipated, his hand reached out from behind her and grasped her upper arm. She wrenched it out of his grasp, whirling around to face him.

"Feeling better?" he asked, agitation from their previous altercation apparent in his voice.

"Hardly," she responded coldly, turning back around and walking faster to avoid him.

He followed and rapidly caught up, stopping her once again at the entrance to the dining hall. "Are you really going to play that game?"

She rolled her eyes toward the cavernous ceiling. "I assure you, none of this is a game. You aren't worth the effort," she said coldly.

At her words, he stilled. Something in his eyes changed and she was sure she hadn't seen such a broken expression in him before. Instead of dwelling on it, she took a seat at the customary place by his side at the long ebony table in the center of the massive hall.

He sat down in a high-backed chair beside her, that odd expression still playing on his handsome face. If she weren't so angry with him, she might have melted at the look. However, she felt incredibly ill and it did little to assuage the anger bubbling up within her.

As she coolly surveyed the other occupants of the room, she groaned inwardly. Apparently it was her lucky day- the entire royal family was present for the dinner, along with several other vampires that she did not know. The high and mighty Lily sat beside her husband, across from Serena, cold eyes boring through her disapprovingly when she scooted as far away from Darien as possible.

Luckily they never had to wait long for dinner service. Before Lily could even open her mouth to make a statement sure to send Serena into a fury, servants entered with gold-plated trays. Serena stared down at the plate placed before her and she made sure to refrain from wrinkling her nose. A massive steak… a massive steak cooked so rare it was practically raw. Stabbing at it with a fork, the juices ran out of it, very much resembling blood, and she almost wished for Lily to strike up an uncomfortable conversation. Everyone began eating and drinking in silence and Serena decided she'd stick to drinking instead. She moved to pick up her glass when she realized drinks were also out of the question; while everyone else was given a goblet of blood, she was customarily served a glass of potent red wine. She could only hope for a blood-free dessert and that nobody would notice her not eating or drinking.

The air was thick with tension as usual, and Serena kept her head bowed, concentrating on being inconspicuous… she was never very good at blending in though.

And as predicted, a voice sliced through the silence. However, it came from one who always stayed silent at these occasions. "Why do you stay, Serena?" Raye's cold voice tore through the silence in the dimly lit room.

Serena tensed at Raye's question. She lifted her head to meet the gaze of the vampire princess and the dark-haired woman simply stared, awaiting her response with ruby eyes full of thinly-veiled malice. "Excuse me?"

Raye smiled cynically, resting her chin on her hand, as if raptly waiting for a response. "You've said it yourself… you don't like it here. So why stay?"

Serena stared at the bitter woman solemnly as her stomach churned. She felt pity for the scorned vampire after what she'd learned from Darien, but she wasn't stupid; the woman would tear her limb from limb if she had the chance. "My parents made a promise that I have to honor," she answered, deciding that even if it was only part of the reason she stayed, it was truthful enough.

"That's all?" Raye prodded, and Serena realized she was attempting to play puppet master with her as the weakling, strings pulling her in each desired direction. But Serena was no puppet.

"Yes," Serena replied coolly, refusing to take the bait. She knew that everyone was readying to silence the woman if she went too far out of line. Even without the bond, she knew that Darien's ire was ready to boil over. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his pale hand gripping the hell out of the intricately carved table. To say he was pissed was an understatement.

Another voice entered the conversation and Serena inwardly groaned. "A promise that you have not yet fulfilled. You have not produced a hybrid yet," Lily added, crimson eyes narrowed at Serena accusingly.

A shudder passed through Serena at her mother-in-law's words. She described the child as a _thing_; not a boy or girl, but an object. Serena may have been terrified of the changes her body was undergoing, but there was already an attachment that she couldn't deny. The tiny life growing inside her was _hers_, and it disturbed her to hear Lily's cold utterance. Darien's inner discomfort rang out in her mind through the link, and she wondered if it was from his mother's callousness or from the fact that she hadn't borne him a child yet. Probably the latter, she thought bitterly.

Damien put a hand on his wife's shoulder, whispering her name in an attempt to calm her. Serena didn't know what was going on in the ancient man's mind, but she knew that he at least understood her importance. He took his wife's immaculately manicured hand in his larger one and squeezed, signaling her to calm down. Lily clenched her teeth, clearly restraining herself from saying anything further.

And in the background, Raye smiled with a look of satiation on her face. Suddenly Serena remembered who had orchestrated all of this and decided to make things interesting. "Oh Lily, rest assured that I will bear Darien's child. You'll have the hybrid," she said with saccharine sweetness. "And I will have fulfilled my end of the bargain," she finished, the sweetness corrupted by the bitterness she harbored.

Darien swallowed at Serena's words. For a moment, he almost thought… he almost thought she liked the idea of bearing his child. That she had accepted her place by his side. But then, that one last comment under her breath had blown his delusions all to hell. She still saw him as an obligation, not as he truly wanted her to. And it hurt more than he wanted to admit. He gripped the ebony beneath his fingertips until his knuckles turned pure white from the exerted pressure.

But Raye was not about to let this go… not when she was stirring up such controversy. "And after that? What will you do once you have the hybrid?" Raye asked curiously.

Everyone at the table stiffened noticeably at the princess' words. Serena closed her eyes for just a moment, attempting to calm herself and ignore the ache that continued to run rampant through her limbs. A resounding crack broke her concentration and she looked to her left to find that her husband had snapped off the edge of the tabletop in his anger. No other occupant had the courage to look up at their king, but Serena looked up at his stony face, a question plainly written on hers.

"I don't know," she whispered honestly. "Will I be free?" she asked quietly, anticipating an explosion from Darien.

But no such explosion came. He merely turned his head to look down at her with disinterest. "No," he stated simply, and his attention shifted to the meal in front of him as his vigorously began cutting his steak.

Her voice became louder at his dismissal. "But I will have fulfilled the terms of the treaty! I will have carried the hybrid you want so badly. I'll have no further use," she finished bitterly.

Another snap rang out in the silent room as the plate split in half. He turned to look at her once more, dark bangs falling in his eyes that now appeared as a mix of navy and violent ruby. "You will never leave," he ground out, slow and enunciated so she caught every syllable.

Anger was rolling off of him in waves and everything rational within her told her to retreat. But she pressed on, tired of feeling like a captive in his charge. "I can leave whenever I want after I fulfill the terms! You can't control my freedom," she shot back, rising from her chair even though her body protested the abrupt movement.

He followed suit, except he disappeared and reappeared directly in front of her, his massive frame looming over her petite one. The temperature in the room began to drop and Serena heard a jumbled mass of angry thoughts of his in her head. It was really a shame she hadn't practiced reading him through the bond more. He was within an inch of her face, his hot breath tickling her lips and almost making her forget what they were fighting about. "You will never be free of me. The moment you said 'I do' you abandoned your right to leave me," he said darkly, bluish-red irises burning into her.

She swallowed and backed up a fraction of an inch. "So vampires don't do the whole divorce thing?" She knew she shouldn't say it, but she was so tired being an obedient lap dog.

As soon as she said it, she knew that she said the wrong thing. At her simple question, his eyes blazed a furious crimson and he let out a roar of fury that chilled her to the bone. He overturned the table, sending it flying into the opposite wall as nearly all of the vampires cowered and retreated into the shadows. After taking his rage out on the furniture, he turned and stalked over to her. "Vampires mate for life. There is never divorce. There is never another!" he bellowed, then quieting so his voice was nothing but a threatening whisper. "You gave your soul to me when we forged the blood bond. You owe me an eternity."

Her eyes glowed a silvery blue in response to his crimson ones and she had no qualms about getting up in his face. "I owe you nine months of my life," she said coldly, acutely aware that her words would make things worse.

"And you would leave your own child?" he asked incredulously. "You would abandon your husband and child for your own selfish desires?"

Before she had a chance to respond, Lily cut in. "She's a Day Walker! What do you expect?" Despite the fact that Serena's skin glowed slightly silver, Lily marched up to the petite blonde. "I should have killed you in your mother's arms twenty years ago," she said cruelly.

Serena stood in shock at the woman's words. How dare she… how dare she-

"You are out of line, Mother," a deep voice ground out, and Serena's shock intensified as he stepped in front of her, body tense and rigid as he stood in a protective stance. "You had no right to say such a thing to my wife. You mean to do nothing but drive us apart and I refuse to let you antagonize my queen."

"Enough!" Serena shrieked, so unbelievably tired and hurt from the past few weeks. She turned Darien around, pointing a finger at his black-clad chest accusingly, "You are enough on your own to drive us apart. Yes, your mother is a scheming uptight bitch, but you're much worse." She took a shaky breath, "And I'm done," she said with finality, stalking away from him in disgust. She ignored his mother's cry of outrage and his deep intake of breath and broke into a sprint, flying down the halls to her bedroom.

Before she knew it, she had reached the royal suite and moved to pack her things when she realized that nothing there belonged to her. Her lungs burned for air and she felt so weak, but she had to get out of there before he came back.

But she was too late. He suddenly materialized before her and she looked up at him with dread. She was expecting his demonic form to be practically snarling at her, fangs exposed and hissing like mad. But that was not the sight before her. His eyes were a stormy blue and glittered as he stared at her in complete and utter sadness. She felt as though she'd been punched in the gut at the forlorn look on his face, but did her best to remain aloof as he approached her.

"You can't be done with me," he whispered brokenly.

She looked away from him, melancholy emanating from her petite figure. "I can't take it anymore. This seclusion, constant derision, you-"

He shook his head in denial. "No. Please don't say it's me." She got the feeling he'd never begged for anything in his life. But somehow, he was in front of her pleading.

Her form was shaking. She loved him… she had to accept it. But she didn't love how he acted at times. And she wasn't about to let him learn this information by reading her mind; she would die before that happened. There were so many things that she resented about the entire situation. "It would be a lie if I didn't. This isn't what I imagined in a marriage."

"This is beyond marriage." He hung his head for a moment before blowing out a shaky breath. "I… I need you," he confessed, looking completely and utterly vulnerable for the first time since she'd met him.

She was ready to cave when that cynical voice she'd grown to hate spoke within her. "Yes, you do. You need my eggs for the half-breed! I know, you've told me!"

He sighed. "No, I mean I _need_ you, not your ability to produce hybrids, not your powers, just you. If you left…" he looked away from her then, "I'd go insane."

She scrutinized his defeated form, searching his mind for any sign of deceit but couldn't find a trace of dishonesty. "And if… if I didn't give birth to what my father thought I would…?"

"I would keep you as you are, my Queen for eternity."

"Eternity is a long time," she said doubtfully.

"Not nearly long enough," he replied, a slight smile gracing his full lips.

"With a queen your people don't accept? Who isn't of your kind? Who has a mind of her own?"

He shook his head at her in disbelief. "Are you sure you can read minds?" When she looked at him questioningly he sobered. "If you've ever read a single thought in my mind, you would know I chose to bind myself to you because you're special to me. Vampires… are not exactly good with complex emotion."

"No?" Serena quipped sarcastically.

Darien sighed. "Vampires know lust, hate, pride… it comes second nature. But I saw you at that party and you made me… _feel_," he confessed, embarrassed at his difficulty in articulating his feelings.

Her heart melted at his awkward confession but she stopped herself from falling completely. "But… maybe you conveniently developed feelings for someone you inevitably had to be with," she pointed out, yet at the same time she hated the 'psychobabble' she was spouting.

"Hmmm… maybe. But I also could have had you captured, had your eggs removed surgically, and killed you. Forgive the bluntness, but that would have been a possibility for me if I didn't want you. But I do, completely."

"I… I don't understand…" she said softly. "Why?"

"Because you evoke things in me I didn't know existed," he said honestly, eyes soft and glimmering as he looked down upon her.

She brought a shaky hand up to smooth skin of his cheek. He was a jerk, undoubtedly. But he was her jerk… and she loved him despite her better judgment. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand, planting a kiss on the pulse at her wrist. The simple brush of his lips against her flesh sent a tingling sensation up her arm and she made a slight noise from the back of her throat that caused him to open his eyes.

"Serena," he purred, lighting a fire in her belly. Without warning, he picked her up and placed her on the edge of the burgundy bed. He gently stripped the shimmering silvery fabric from her body, softly planting a kiss on the mark he left on her neck. Before she knew it, he was down to his black silk boxers and hovering above her like so many times before. But instead of him pouncing on her like he normally did, he pulled the comforter out from under them and proceeded to tuck them in, hugging her body to his.

She turned in his arms to face him and looked up at him questioningly. He sighed, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You're ill… you said so yourself and you obviously need rest."

"I almost forgot about how crappy I feel," she said sheepishly.

"I know I'm an ass, Serena. But I'd protect you with my life. And I want to see you happy. The underworld isn't ideal for someone like you, but… but I'll do what I can," his voice was soft with emotion and it made her smile.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but the ache and weakness that had plagued her since she'd awoken seemed a little less troublesome, a little less severe. She snuggled into his chest as she felt herself quickly drifting off. It was probably her imagination.

* * *

A month passed, and the weakness Serena experienced evolved from fatigue to full-fledged illness and she found it harder and harder to shield her mind from Darien. While he may have been a little thick, he wasn't completely stupid and she knew he was aware that something was wrong. He kept insisting that she see one of their doctors, but she felt less than comfortable seeing a doctor who viewed her as a more of a snack than a patient. Well, that and she'd have to tell him she was pregnant.

Serena sighed as she readjusted herself on the large four-poster bed, throwing the magazine that she was reading to the side. She was going to tell him. But if she did… everything would change. Everything would be different; and she didn't know if she was ready for their tentative relationship to change. She scowled at her cowardice. That's exactly what she was; a big fat coward.

"Why are you a coward?" the deep timbre of Darien's voice startled her out of her self-chiding.

Damn! She needed to be careful about her wayward thoughts. She smiled softly at her husband as he crawled into bed with her, planting a feather-light kiss on her forehead. "Eh… no reason really. I guess I'm just down on myself because I've been practically useless these past few weeks."

A skeptical expression crossed his features briefly but it left as quickly as it came and a small smile played on his face. "I know what might make you feel better."

Her eyes narrowed at his expression. "Please don't tell me you've scheduled an appointment with a vampire doctor! I told you before, I won't go!"

He smirked as he wrapped his arms around her frail body, nuzzling her pale neck. "Contrary to popular belief, I am capable of listening." He lifted his head to look her in the eyes. "Close your eyes and hold onto me, love," he commanded softly, brushing his lips ever so slightly against hers. "I want to show you something."

She cursed herself for succumbing so easily to his slightest touch as she wrapped her arms around the enigmatic man before her. Blaming it on hormones, she closed her eyes. As soon as her eyes drifted shut, she felt a rush of freezing cold air then felt solid rock beneath her bare feet. Her eyes flew open, only to find that she stood before a large ebony door in a wing that she was not familiar with.

Tugging on her hand, he opened the door and led her into a dark room. Suddenly, light filled the room and Serena gasped at the sight. A state of the art laboratory was before her, filled with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of technological equipment.

She noted that a small metallic cell phone sat on the black marble counter, right beside a laptop. Turning around, she looked up at him in confusion.

"It's yours… all of it. I had it built so you can have something that's yours alone…" he blushed. "I thought you could have a little of it back, you know with the hematology…" he trailed off, almost bashful.

At that moment, he looked so… so human. His normally tense, overwhelming form was relaxed and he smiled genuinely at her. "So… you like it?"

She lunged at him, throwing her arms about him as she pulled him into a kiss. Pressing her lips to his again and again, for the first time, she felt normal. She felt like a normal couple in a normal relationship, even though the situation was far from it. She felt him care, and the simple thought of it filled her body with warmth.

"You like it then?" he asked once more, pride clearly written all over his chiseled features.

Her eyes began to tear as she looked up at him with liquid blue eyes, her fingers tracing his cheek. "You don't… you don't know how much this means to me."

"I would've done it sooner…"

She shook her head, snuggling further into his embrace. "It's perfect."

* * *

Weeks turned into months and ever so slowly, she began to notice the subtle changes in her body. First, she was so exhausted… but that she could hide. Then, she started getting physically ill… that was harder to hide. Now, her lower abdomen curved ever so slightly… impossible to hide from her perpetually horny mate who preferred her naked whenever they were behind closed doors. She placed her hand on the slightly convex surface and tried to imagine what could be growing there. It scared her, the life growing inside of her. Having a baby was scary enough… but a baby that could most likely tear you limb from limb? She was downright terrified.

A wave of dizziness overtook her as she leaned her head back under the stream of warm water. Usually a shower was enough to soothe her nerves, but she had a feeling that the apprehension would not cease anytime soon. Darien was out hunting and she was left alone with thoughts that threatened to drive her mad. He had an uncanny ability to permeate her mind when she was nervous or upset, similar to the feel of a cool rain on a hot summer day. When she let him in, that is. And she rarely did, because she was so afraid of upsetting the already fragile relationship they were beginning to build.

There was an abrupt rush of frigid air against her back and suddenly, the small space of the glass shower was filled with two bodies.

"Hello lover," he purred into her ear, wrapping his muscled arms around her body. He ran his tongue along the salty skin of her neck, causing her to shiver beneath the warm spray of the shower.

She leaned back on his granite chest, butterflies filling her stomach as his kisses grew wetter up her neck. "I missed you," she murmured throatily, a small smile on her lips as she felt his wet, naked body against her.

His pearly white teeth gleamed as he grinned against her neck, "Of course you did, baby." His long fingers danced along her abdomen, sending chills up her spine. Slowly, his hand crept lower and she gasped as he started to move his fingers against her. "I missed you too," he confessed roughly, his other hand squeezing her breast.

She nearly lost her balance as he slipped a finger inside of her. "Darien," she mumbled, leaning back against his body for support.

"Serena," he answered back, nuzzling her bite mark and licking at the slightly indented skin there. "I'm still hungry."

His wet black bangs tickled the side of her face as his tongue circled her bite mark and she let out a shaky breath. As if it were second nature, she turned her head to give him full access to her neck. She knew how he liked it, and it almost made her feel powerful to know that only she could please him so.

Her fingernails dug into his muscled thighs as his fangs sunk into her neck. He groaned in pleasure as his tongue began to lap up the blood that began to flow from the wound. She sighed, the tingling warmth she always felt when he bit her spreading through her body.

He closed his eyes in ecstasy, her sugary sweet blood pouring from her veins down his throat. Holding her slick body even closer than before, he began to suck vigorously at the open wound.

His fingers were doing wicked things to her in combination with the pleasurable sensation of being sucked on by her vampire lover. Her eyes snapped open suddenly as the world seemed to spin beneath her. One of her hands gripped his larger hand at the apex of her legs but that did nothing to deter him. Another wave of dizziness overtook her and she moaned. "Darien…" she whimpered slightly, her other hand moving to hold her head.

He ceased his feeding for a moment to place a kiss on the bleeding wound. "Yeah, baby?" he said hoarsely, clearly in a haze of desire and bloodlust.

She shook her head to try and regain equilibrium, but it only worsened until black spots danced against the edges of her vision. "Darien, I don't think… I…" she murmured weakly, swaying slightly in his arms. And before Darien could question her strange behavior, she crumpled to the marble floor of the shower.

* * *

Amidst the vacant darkness she felt a slow warmth washing over her… and she rarely recalled feeling warmth within the frigid stone walls of the Onyx Palace. Opening her eyes fully, she found her husband lying next to her in front of the fireplace in their bedroom.

His smooth, bare chest was pressed flush against her naked torso and his alabaster skin looked almost golden under the amber glow of the fire. A soft fur blanket covered their bodies, amplifying the heat her body desperately craved.

He smiled tenderly at her, brushing her cheek with the pads of his long fingers. "Hi," he whispered, the single syllable conveying so much more than a simple greeting.

"Hey," she replied drowsily, basking in the rare warmth around her. "My hair is dry," she said absently, a touch of drowsiness still apparent in her voice.

His face showed slight amusement at her statement and he smiled. "You've been out for a while. How are you feeling?" his voice was soft and warm and wrapped around her like a blanket.

She closed her eyes for a moment to assess her current state. "Better," she murmured, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"I'm sorry I bit you."

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at him questioningly. He'd never been sorry about biting her before; quite the opposite in fact. "Why?"

A slight frown marred his perfect features. "I didn't know… your body can't handle the blood loss. You're anemic as it is and excessive anemia isn't good for you or the baby."

She stilled and analyzed his pale face. His navy eyes bore into her yet did not give anything away. "The... baby?"

He nodded, "You're about four months along," he said quietly, his large hand gently moving to rest on the slightly convex surface of her lower abdomen.

"You know," she said quietly, almost to herself. Her smaller hand clutched his convulsively, not knowing how to proceed. He knew… and her secret was no longer hers.

"I know," he confirmed. "Your fatigue, illness… it all makes sense. And here I was beginning to think that you were suffering some vitamin deficiency from lack of sunlight," he finished, a slight note of self-deprecation in his tone. "I should have known… but you have a nasty habit of shielding your mind when you want to."

She blushed at his words. "I'm sorry," she whispered earnestly. "I didn't know what to do… I still don't know what to do," she finished honestly.

He smiled slightly as he moved his hand from her abdomen up to stroke her cheek. "I don't either… but it's not your burden to bear alone anymore. We'll be okay."

His words were spoken with such surety that she simply had to believe he was right. "I have to say, you're taking this incredibly well." She felt her heart swell a bit as he gazed at her with something akin to adoration.

Shrugging, he leaned back on his elbows and stared at the dancing flames in the fireplace. "While I would've liked you to tell me, I know I can be a little intimidating."

His optimism was contagious and she smiled playfully in turn, "You are the Lord of the Underworld, remember?"

He smirked. "And don't you forget it," he mumbled, nipping carefully at her neck, making sure not to break the skin.

At his affectionate advance, she suddenly realized their state of undress. "By the way, is there a reason why we're naked?"

"Body heat," he replied easily.

She raised a blonde brow at the comment. "You, sir, are always cold." To prove her point, she placed a small hand on the cool surface of his chest.

A wide grin spread across his face, his razor sharp teeth glinting as he smiled at her and removed her hand, using the leverage to roll on top of her. "Maybe my intentions aren't as honorable as you thought," he suggested.

Wrapping a leg around his, she freed her hand and pulled his face down to meet hers. "Maybe I don't mind."

* * *

In the past month since the vampire clan had learned of her pregnancy, the air inside the Onyx Palace had completely changed. Those who had once glared at her with piercing, glowing eyes treated her with reverence and adoration. It was as though her pregnancy gained her immediate acceptance in the people's eyes. They even went so far as to support her hematological research, assuring her that she would find a way to curb their bloodlust. Everyone being at her beck and call was certainly a change, and slightly unsettling.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine a vampire doctor would be practically cooing at her as she had an ultrasound. Nor did she think that their medications would do anything for her crippling illness and fatigue. Miraculously, as her belly began to grow and she continued their prescribed treatments, her symptoms began to subside a bit and she was able to resume a somewhat normal lifestyle.

She sat cross-legged on the massive bed, looking over pictures of slides of her most recent samples on the sleek laptop Darien had given her. He lounged next to her, navy eyes fixed on the flat-screen television mounted on the opposite wall. Glancing up at the screen, she stifled a groan. Football. As she'd learned over the past few months, just because vampires lived underground, they still enjoyed their fair share of professional sports.

"Why stifle it? The groan in your mind is much louder," he commented, his eyes still glued to the television.

"Hey!" she whined, grabbing the silk pillow behind her lower back and attempting to smack him in the face with it. Unfortunately, his reflexes were beyond that of a normal human's and he caught it mid-swing, completely unfazed.

Tossing the pillow out of the way, he shook his head at her. "Will you ever learn?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Will _you_ ever learn! You know I hate it when you do that."

He sighed. "I can't help it. It's natural for me to want to know what's going on inside your head. You're my mate." His dark eyes glittered as he stared at her and her heart beat a bit faster.

This made her slightly angrier, only because he was softening her up purposely! "You are pure evil, you know that?" she bit back, but there was no malice in her voice. He'd accomplished his task.

"Never doubted it," he said cockily, turning off the television.

"You want to know what's going on in my head? I'm trying to figure out why I can't grow these erythrocytes as quickly as I want to," she gestured in frustration at the picture of a slide on the laptop screen.

"I love it when you talk dirty," he murmured, shutting the laptop closed and crawling closer to her.

She smirked, "Not exactly dirty, but I'll take it." Her hand snaked behind him to pull him in for a kiss. Just as their lips were about to meet, they were interrupted by frantic pounding. Someone was banging on their door as though the palace were on fire.

"Your Highness!" It was muffled, but Serena was able to hear the frantic voice of a vampire outside the thick ebony door.

"What?" Darien barked back in annoyance, glaring at the door. His hand traveled up to her breast and he gave a light squeeze, as if to defy any call to duty.

"Your Highness I must request entry!" the frantic voice pled.

Groaning, Darien released Serena and almost instantaneously appeared at the door, allowing the harried vampire in.

The ruby eyed vampire was dressed in all black leather and looked from Serena to Darien frantically. "It is urgent, Your Highness. We have an intrusion at ground level."

His expression immediately darkened. "Who?" he barked, his muscles immediately tense.

"It's a Class Five Intrusion, my Lord," the dark haired man responded grimly.

Darien's navy eyes widened at the man's answer. He turned to Serena, a whisper of dread apparent in his eyes. "I have to go. You have to stay here," he commanded sternly, a note of panic in his deep voice.

Serena stared at him, bewildered. "Darien, what's a Class Five Intrusion?"

He shook his head, disappearing and reappearing across the room as he threw clothes on. "It means you're not safe. You have to stay here." Cursing under his breath, he slammed his fist into a seemingly blank wall twice, until the wall began to shift and what looked like a large hole appeared. Reaching inside, he grabbed two handguns from what appeared to be a makeshift armory in their bedroom… an armory that she never knew existed.

"You're scaring me," she said worriedly, getting up from her position to inspect the portion of the wall that had shifted.

He affixed a dagger to his side and strode toward her. "You should be scared. Promise me you won't leave this room until I come for you," he demanded as his hands gripped her upper arms.

She didn't know what to think… all she knew was that Darien rarely panicked. "I… what's going on?"

"You are a target and I won't let something happen to you. Promise me."

"I… I'll stay here," she stammered hesitantly. She could feel his fear through their bond and it only served to heighten her nervousness.

He pulled her to his chest then, his large hand threading into her flaxen hair as he held her almost desperately. "You'll stay here," he whispered, almost to himself as reassurance.

Lifting her head so she could look at him, she lightly stroked the side of his face. "I'll be fine. Be careful," she said softly, pulling on the nape of his neck so that she could reach his lips.

She sensed a note of utter desperation as he pressed his lips to hers again and again, his large form completely covering hers. He pulled away, only to place a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back soon," he reassured her, and before she could reply, he vanished.

Five minutes seemed like five hours as she sat, alone in an overly large and lavishly decorated room underground while she waited for her husband to deal with some "Class Five Intrusion." She could hear the bustle of vampires moving about outside her room, barking orders for more security in certain areas, and it only increased her anxiety.

When the gilded doorknob began to turn, she let out a sigh of relief. Finally. Finally, he was… not there.

Raye stood before her, not dressed in black leather like everyone else, but another trademark red gown of hers. She smiled that same condescending smile at Serena and her stomach turned.

"Attempting to take out the queen while your brother is away? Brilliant, Raye," Serena said defiantly, attempting to mask her fear.

A cold smirk graced the princess' pale face. "Now, now, give me a little credit, sister dear. I do learn from previous mistakes. You should know me better by now."

"What do you want? What have you done and how do you want to torture me with it?" Serena asked, an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach as she glared at her sister-in-law.

"I just wanted to tell you… your brother is a very nice man. Very friendly."

"How do you know my brother?"

Her smirk turned into a full-fledged grin. "He was simply elated to find out about your pregnancy."

The pieces started to come together in Serena's mind and her heart began to pound. "No… you didn't."

"He was just grateful to hear about your progress from someone who cares about you so much. Someone who would let him onto the grounds to see you."

Serena tried her best to remain calm and knew that she was failing miserably. "Why would you do that?" she asked shakily.

"Dear Queen… so privileged," she cooed. "You just waltz into our keep, get knocked up by my fool of a brother, and instantly, you are adored by all… their beautiful Queen. Your life must be so wonderful. How would it be for you, I wonder, if you were despised for carrying a child? Banished for your abomination?" Raye's tone changed from mocking to cruel in an instant.

"Raye," Serena attempted to placate her, knowing that she was running out of time. "I know you've suffered."

Apparently, she had said the wrong thing. Raye's ruby eyes glowed eerily as she advanced on the blonde. "You know NOTHING of suffering! You know nothing of sacrifice! I want you all to pay for the ease with which you go about your perfect lives," she spat ruthlessly. Abruptly, her scowl shifted into a malicious grin. "And soon, you will know a semblance of my pain… of my suffering."

"You… you bitch!" Serena shrieked, shoving her inadvertently across the room as she began to panic.

The back of Raye's head slammed against the wall, but it did not seem to affect her. "You're not the first to call me that." She reached behind her to touch her scalp and her fingers were tinged red with blood. "Oh, and Serena? A class five intrusion is a direct threat to the queen… punishable by death," she finished, a look of satisfaction on her face as Serena raced out of the room.

She bounded up the stairs of the keep as best she could, her heart pounding and her lungs working furiously. Multiple vampires approached her as she ran, screaming for her to stop, but she paid them no heed. Her skin glowed silver, warding off any who dared approach as she made her way to the surface.

The air was rank with blood and every hair on her pale skin stood on end as she stepped onto the onyx dais. Everything within her told her something was very wrong. The ground was soft from recent rainfall and her small slippered feet sunk into the earth with each step off the dais.

She looked down at the ground only to find a bloody, severed limb at her feet. Shrieking, she jumped away and bumped into something solid behind her.

"What did I tell you?" a deep voice reverberated through her and her stomach lurched.

Turning around, she faced her ragged-looking husband. Clad in black leather, his uniform was torn by what looked like scratch marks and the material was slick with blood. She cringed as she noted his fangs were out and gleaming, although his eyes remained the dark blue she loved. "Who was the class five intruder?" her voice trembled as she looked up at him.

"It's not safe out here," he said firmly, his bloodied hands grasping her bare upper arms as he ignored her question. "Who let you out? I gave explicit instructions for you to be kept in the palace," he ground out.

Her pale eyes narrowed at his tone and she wrenched away from his grasp. "Maybe if you told me what these ridiculous code names meant I wouldn't have to find out for myself! Now tell me what the hell you've done!" she demanded of him.

"I need to get you inside," he insisted, a note of urgency in his eyes as he attempted to guide her back into the underground palace.

At his change in expression, she grew even more suspicious. Moving past him, she ignored his cries of protest and came upon the most gruesome sight she'd ever laid eyes on.

Twenty feet away lay the barely recognizable, dismembered body of Sapphire. All of his limbs were severed and his torso was an unearthly white as a cloaked female vampire continued to feed off him.

"Sapphire!" she shrieked, sprinting toward the body of her fallen brother. The female vampire looked up from feeding and her glowing amber eyes stared up at Serena coldly.

Without even taking notice, Serena glowered at the woman before her, tears flowing from her eyes as she telekinetically sent her flying away from them until the vampire slammed up against a tree nearly one hundred feet away.

Falling to her knees, she cradled the clearly dead body of her brother. He'd been sucked dry, multiple bite marks puckering on sheet white skin. Perhaps what was worst of all was the look of sheer terror frozen on her fallen brother's face. "No no no no no…." she whispered over and over, shaking her head in disbelief. Sobs racked her body as she clutched what was left of his form, blood spatter seeping into her clothing.

As she continued to cry, she placed a palm on his lacerated chest, attempting to use her healing powers. Over and over, she would blast energy into his mutilated form, but to no avail. "Not you, Sapph, not you…" she whimpered, giving up as her attempts drained her.

Laying his body on the muddy, blood-soaked ground, she slowly turned to face her husband. "You… killed my brother," she whispered in disbelief, blue eyes wild. Her voice began to get louder as she stood and began to walk toward him, "You killed my brother. You killed my brother!" At the end she was screaming the words.

"He was trespassing. I didn't know-" Darien stammered, navy eyes full of worry as he reached out to her.

She slapped his hand away. "You killed my brother!"

His eyes were contrite as he stared down at her. "Serena, you need to come inside. You're not safe-"

Her form was shaking violently and she began to retreat from him. "I'm not safe with you!"

"You know that's not-" he grabbed her wrist as he advanced on her.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, blue eyes wide as she tore her arm from his cold hand. Wrapping her arms around her body, she stared at him brokenly. "How… how could you?"

His eyes narrowed as he stared at the corpse for a moment. "I remember him. I remember him from your aunt's house, standing over me as the silver nitrate poisoned me. The fucking bastard tried to kill me!"

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't believe that this was happening, that everything was falling apart so quickly. "No, he saved you, you moron! He helped me drag you to the car so we could escape!"

Darien faltered at her words. "But I remember-"

"You were going into shock and he saved you! And you killed him!" she screamed at him, eyes leaking crystal tears as she struggled to breathe.

He inhaled sharply at her words. "I… I didn't know…"

"You killed him!" she accused once more. No matter how many times she said it, it just seemed so unreal, so impossible.

"He was trespassing on our grounds with a package." He motioned to a brown box tossed casually by the wayside in the mud.

Serena stalked over to the package and tore the box open, only to find… a mobile. Each branch of the mobile had crystal hearts dropping from them, with various photographs of Serena, her parents, and even of Sapphire embedded within. Beneath the gift, she found a note that read, 'So your baby will always know its family. Love, Sapph.'

She felt as if though someone had knocked the wind out of her. He'd come to deliver a baby gift… and had been killed for his efforts. Sharply, she turned to face Darien. "You want to know why he was trespassing? You want to know _why_ he was fucking trespassing on your precious territory? He came to give YOUR child a gift! And you slaughtered him!" she spat.

Darien froze at the discovery. "I didn't… I never would have…"

"My family was right," she muttered in a disgusted tone. "They were so right. You are a monster."

His expression darkened at her words, "I know you're upset, so I'll excuse your words."

"Oh thank God you'll forgive me!" She mocked. "I don't need your fucking forgiveness! You are nothing but a monster. Only a soulless bastard like you would be capable of such carnage."

It was only then that she realized how light the sky had become… reds and purples painted across the early morning sky, casting a dim light on her bloodied surroundings.

Her words angered him, but he suppressed the rage due to the precarious position they were in. "We can discuss this inside, Serena."

She scoffed at him. "I'm never going inside that God-forsaken palace. _Ever!_"

He shook his head and approached her once more. "You don't know what you're saying. You are a vulnerable target for our enemies when pregnant with the half breed and being above ground isn't safe!" He tried to plead with her.

She backed up as he advanced, and she felt the ache within her grow a bit more. "I'm much safer out here than I ever was with you."

His eyes widened as he looked at her, stricken. "You don't mean that."

"Oh, I do. I don't trust a word coming out of your filthy mouth," she bit back.

The increasing amount of daylight was beginning to irritate his pale skin. He winced, "Serena, I didn't mean to..."

"But you did! You knew _exactly_ what you were doing as you tore him limb from limb! I hate you, Darien. You've taken everything from me…" she sobbed brokenly. "I _hate_ you."

"You don't…"

"I do. I hate you Darien, and I wish I'd never met you."

End Chapter Six

AN (PLEASE READ): Over the past cringe year or so, I've received a fair amount of e-mails/PM regarding the status of the story and when I am going to update. I know that I am really bad about responding (sorry!) so the best way to find out about the progress of the story is to look at the update section on my profile page. When I'm working on the story, I try to update this part of the page and it's probably the best place to find out about any recent progress (although I really don't mind the e-mails- I love hearing from you!). And please, if you can, let me know what you thought of this most recent chapter. When I'm feeling muse-less and lost, I look back at my reviews and think, hey, at least somebody's reading this. So reviews really do make a difference, even when I take 5 million years to update. Let me know what you liked or didn't, what you'd like to see more or less of, or basically anything else as long as it doesn't completely destroy my fragile ego. Again, thanks so much for reading!


End file.
